Residents flee Thayetchaung after junta torches homes

Villagers from at least 10 villages are fleeing Thayetchaung Township in Tanintharyi Region as junta troops advance.

Junta columns from the Winpa military base in Thayetchaung Town, which started moving south on November 8, have been going through villages along their route and setting houses on fire, a local reported.

“The soldiers first entered the monastery in Yaenge Village. From there, they gradually advanced and launched attacks, setting houses on fire along the way.

The full extent of the damage is still unknown. By now, nearly the entire population of the surrounding villages has been displaced,” he told KIC.

Thousands of residents from nearby villages, including Mindat, Thinkyun, Waryit, Kamyaing, Yaenge, Kyaukkhamauk, Kyweminkone, and Kanetthiri, have been fleeing to safety as junta columns continue to rampage through the area.

Now, food shortages are becoming a serious concern for residents who have fled their entire villages, an aid worker from Thayetchaung Township has warned.

“The junta columns are still moving south. Villagers, both in the villages they’ve already ransacked and in those they haven’t reached yet, have fled. Right now, we’re sharing the food we have with everyone, but over time, supplies are going to run short. On top of that, the junta has blocked many of the key routes into the region that we need to bring in food,” he said.