Junta ‘Thieves Column’ Ransacks Lawksawk Township Houses

Locals have nicknamed a junta column operating in and around Kyaukgu Village in Lawksawk (Yatsauk) Township, southern Shan State the ‘thieves column’ because they have ransacked so many empty homes.

The column started operating in the area on 18 January 2025 after most locals had fled the area due to fighting. According to locals, soldiers in the column ransacked abandoned homes and shops and took the stolen goods to the Artillery Battalion 349 base in Kyaukgu Town, also in Lawksawk Township.