Myanmar Junta’s Ring of Fire Around Magwe Festival Forces 20,000 to Flee

Regime troops are carrying out scorched-earth attacks in Magwe to secure a popular pagoda festival in central Myanmar, forcing more than 20,000 people to flee their homes in Salin and Pwintbyu townships.

Junta raids and clashes, which erupted in the second week of February, have caused residents from over 20 villages in Salin and Pwintbyu townships to seek refuge in unaffected settlements, monasteries, schools, farms and forests. Many are reportedly running short of food after being unable to return home.