It has been learned that about 10,000 locals in Pale Township, Sagaing Region, are fleeing from the Junta’s column urgently.
The people of more than 15 villages are fleeing because more than 80 soldiers and Pyu Saw Htee militiamen have been raiding in the western part of Pale Town since February 15th, according to the Pale Township People’s Administrative Team (Pa-Ah-Hpa).
“It’s been almost two weeks since they (Junta’s column) started leaving Pale Town. Now there are almost 10,000 people who have fled the column,” said U Zaw Htet, who is in charge of Pale Township Pa-Ah-Hpa.
Most of the villages have been fleeing since the time when the column started to leave Pale Town, and they have gone to safe villages to avoid the column.
“Now the column has reached almost 7 miles away from Pale Town, so there are more and more villages that have to flee from it. Some villages did not need to escape when they started coming out. They avoided it when the column was close to them. When the convoy reaches this village, they run to another village,” said a local who fled the column.
People from more than 15 villages in Pale Township, including Min Taing Pin, Thayet, Myaynigone, Chaung Nar, War Gyi Taw, Aung Chan Thar, Thapyay Aye, U Nauk, Kyaung Win Do, Tharyarkone, Htan Taw Taik, and Koe Pin Ywa, are fleeing currently.
It is reported that the column looted food from the villages and delivered it to Inma Htee Pyu Saw Htee Village, Zee Phyu Gone Pyu Saw Htee Village, and Kan Daunt Police Station in Pale Township.
“During these two weeks, they took food from all the villages they came to. Then they carried the food to Pyu villages with carts, cars, and human power. Now they have already been able to send almost everything they looted,” Zaw Htet continued.
On February 25th, that column entered the villages of Myaynigone, Htan Daw Taik, and Thayet, looted people’s belongings, and took them to Zee Phyu Gone Pyu village.
After that, in addition to the looting of Min Taing Pin Village, nine houses were burned down, including the public houses in the old wood factory and the house of Zaw Htet, who is in charge of the Pale Township Pa-Ah-Hpa.
“On the 25th, the junta soldiers and Pyu militiamen burned down my house and my brother’s house, as well as the houses of employees living in the wood factory,” he said.
It is reported that the wood factory in Min Taing Pin Village has been closed for the past 10 years, but the employees are still living inside the factory and making money with other jobs.
That column raided War Gyi Taw Village on February 26th and delivered a lot of food to Kan Daunt police station. After that, it has been stationed in Aung Chan Thar village and Kyaung Win Doo village overnight until February 27th.