It is reported that the military junta troops burned down a primary school and 20 public houses in Chaung Taw Wa village, Matara Township, Mandalay Region.
Around 100 soldiers based in Ngar Lone Pyun village, about 50 soldiers based in Tangar village, and about 70 soldiers based in Thaphankai village, from Matara Township, marched around villages in the eastern part of Matara Township in the morning on May 4th, then they opened fire into Chaung Taw Wa village with heavy and small arms and set fire to the village, according to People’s Defense Force (Pa Ka Hpa) of Matara Township.
“Tangar village is three miles away from Chaung Taw Wa. The column has more than 200 forces. As I said, they came from their bases. I don’t know exactly whether they are from a division or not. The junta troops and militia troops have joined forces to raid villages,” Bo Tauk, the information officer of Matara Township PDF (Pa-Ka-Hpa), told MPA.
It is said that Chaung Taw Wa village has been burned for the first time.
“They entered the villages by shooting large and small weapons. They left Chaung Taw Wa at 10 o’clock and retreated to Matara,” said a resident of Matara.
The column has retreated to Matara Town, but more than 10 villages in the eastern part of Matara have not returned to their villages until tonight, fearing that junta troops would fire with heavy weapons.
