June 18, 2022
Yay U Township in the Sagaing region has seen over 50 individuals reported dead or missing following a brutal military raid on Montain Pin and Inpin villages. Eyewitnesses claim that the military executed five detained civilians in groups of five.
Residents stated that the military entered Montain Pin and Inpin villages on the morning of May 10, shooting and killing at least 27 civilians and leaving around 30 missing. This raises the total number of confirmed dead and missing to nearly 50.
According to reports by RFA, locals confirmed that the military’s systematic execution of civilians included those detained in the villages of Yay U, Montain Pin, and Inpin. When the military raided Montain Pin, they captured individuals sheltering in a monastery and executed five detainees at a time, burning the bodies and hiding them under houses.
“We have eyewitnesses who can attest to the killings, and we witnessed the executions ourselves from a distance,” a local resident stated.
The military has been accused of incinerating bodies to destroy evidence, discarding corpses into waterways, and concealing remains beneath homes. When the military withdrew, 17 charred bodies were found in Montain Pin, and 10 more in Inpin.
Additionally, three monks were reportedly detained and transported to Waso Monastery in Yay U on the night of May 13, where they were threatened against speaking out about their experiences.
“A total of over 30 bodies were recovered from the Montain Pin and Inpin incidents, and some of the corpses were so burned that they are unrecognizable. There are still 30 missing persons. In total, nearly 50 individuals have been reported dead or missing. To this day, it feels like a nightmare for all of us,” a local resident said.
According to locals, the 30 missing individuals have yet to be found, with a list of the missing persons released on May 14 as follows:
1. U Thein Myint Shwe (43)
2. U Sein Nain (50)
3. U Kyaw Aye (55)
4. U Kyaw Khine (45)
5. U Aung Than Swe (63)
6. U Thein Lin (57)
7. U Tun Lin Aung (25)
8. U Aung Htoo (50)
9. U Kyaw Zay Lin (39)
10. U Kyaw Min Aung (38)
11. U Zaw Moe Hlain (30)
12. U Moe Khine (48)
13. U Zaw Min Aung (40)
14. U Aung San Win (44)
15. U Thein Han (56)
16. U Kan Win (55)
17. U Myo Than (40)
18. U Zaw Lin (42)
19. U Win Myint (45)
20. U Kyaw Thu (33)
21. U Kyaw Paing (42)
22. U Kyaw Khine (45)
23. U Min Thun (55)
24. U Nyi Nyi Min (35)
25. U Kyaw Swa Min (41)
26. U Min Yu Way (48)
27. U Lone Shwe (30)
28. U Win Kyaw (50)
29. U Soe Soe Htun (33)
30. U Soe Htun (45)
The military has also been reported to have burned down 9 civilian homes in Nawkon village near Montain Pin, 12 homes in Inpin village, 21 homes in Chan Thar village, 7 homes in Sisone village, 2 homes in Than Thar village, and 29 homes in Montain Pin village.
“Dead bodies are scattered around the village, and no one dares to collect them. PDF soldiers are desperately trying to extinguish the fires in the affected homes. From what we know, about 29 houses have burned down. We still cannot identify who was shot dead. There are signs of blood everywhere, indicating that the victims were killed before the fires were set,” a local resident said on May 14.
Montain Pin village, home to around 1,900 residents across approximately 480 households, has suffered significant losses, including looting by the military of goods and cash from residents’ homes. Locals also reported that the military stole 22 barrels of fuel, 150 tins of rice, and 10 tins of beans from the surrounding areas.
The situation in Yay U Township highlights the horrific treatment of civilians by the military, with accounts of brutal detentions and executions continuing to emerge.
