September 24, 2024
The military has launched artillery attacks and detained civilians in villages within Sa Thay Township, Nyaunglebin District, Bago Region, forcibly extorting money and using them as human shields, according to the KNU central office. On the afternoon of September 19, around 3 p.m., the military’s 57th Light Infantry Battalion fired an 81mm mortar round, which exploded in Sanphe village, injuring two monks, local sources reported.
Additionally, joint forces from the military and a unit based at Thanseik outpost arrested and used residents of Thanseik Kyaungkon, Angani, and Kyauktan villages as human shields, killing 36-year-old Ko Ye Myint Aung from Panyay village around 11:55 a.m. on September 20, according to reports.
On September 22, around 10:30 a.m., four villagers from Fyanthaline in Laindaw Township were arrested without cause by the Kaungtankha Police Force under the control of the military. Two of the arrested villagers were forced to pay 750,000 kyats, while the other two from Bodhikwine village were extorted for 250,000 kyats, said the KNU.
In a similar incident, KNU-Mutraw District reported that military artillery fire damaged homes in Htee Thalay and Htee Lo Thita villages in Dwe Lo Township, Karen State. On September 21, the military, based at Kya Sett Fale (Taung Thone Lone) near Papun Town, fired two artillery shells into the villages of Htee Thalay and Htee Lo Thita, destroying two homes.
The KNU-Mutraw District also noted that the military, facing repeated defeats, is increasingly relying on heavy artillery and airstrikes to intentionally target civilians.
