August 8, 2022
In the Depayin Township of Sagaing Region, local residents reported that the military launched a second arson attack on Muu Kan Gyi Village, which consists of around 4,000 houses, today at approximately 4 PM on August 8. During the military’s assault on the village, they used heavy artillery and automatic weapons, but it remains unconfirmed whether there were any civilian casualties.
One local resident commented, “The military is setting the village on fire; we can see it from afar. The villagers are all fleeing. Before the fire started, we heard heavy weapon fire and the sounds of machine guns. It’s still unclear whether there have been any casualties among the people. We don’t yet know the extent of the destruction. The smoke is still visible, and the fire is intense.”
Muu Kan Gyi Village, located in the eastern part of Depayin Township, is a bustling model village. It was reported that during the first military assault, 168 houses were burned down. The military began its arson attack on Muu Kan Gyi Village at 3:45 PM on August 8, with four military units entering the village from the southeast through Lethaw village.
A resident from the village stated, “The military columns have been heading towards the village since around 11 AM, and some villagers were already fleeing in advance. Others are still nearby. Now, they are setting the village on fire. We can see smoke rising from the village from a distance. We haven’t heard of any fighting on the ground, but this is just causing more suffering for the people.”
