The junta troops reportedly burned down Myauk Ohntaw village _ which is stationed by themselves _ in Pauk Township, Magway Region, at about 2:00 p.m. on March 2.
“There are two villages of Myauk Ohntaw and Taung Ohntaw. One of them that burned down just now is Myauk Ohntaw. The fire started at 2:00 p.m. We saw a huge smoke coming up. I can’t say for sure why it was burned down. The military has stationed in that village, so the people are not staying now,” the spokesperson of the Pauk Township’s PDF told MPA.
Myauk Ohntaw village is located on the Pauk-Pakokku Road and is a village where the junta troops _ from Pakokku Division-101 and Pauk’s Defense Factory-24 (KaPaSa) _ stationed since 2023 October 3, he explained.
“There is the Yaw Creek Bridge between Pauk and Pakokku. It is the No. 1 Ohntaw Bridge. The defense forces were active near the bridge before, so the junta troops were stationed there. The people of both Myauk Ohntaw and Taung Ohntaw have not been able to return to their homes for a long time,” he said.
The local people from these villages are unable even to work on their farms and are forced to leave their homes and flee safety, a displaced person said.
“When we started to flee, it was time to harvest the farm. After the junta troops stationed in the village, I tried to harvest it near the village. But I ran back as they fired heavy weapons from the village. After that, I didn’t dare to go,” he said.
The local people from the village are living in safe farm tents in the forest where they can get water, and the needs for food and living are being helped, a humanitarian officer of Pauk Township said.
“They may have collected some things before. We are helping as much as we can, and the Pauk Township PDF, the humanitarian affairs department and other civil society organizations are also helping those displaced people,” he said.
Although the Myauk Ohntaw village in Pauk Township is a village stationed by the military junta, the junta troops set often fire on the village. In previous arson attacks, up to 87 houses inside the village were reportedly burned down.