Junta troops kill, burn 4 civilians in Myanmar’s Sagaing region

Junta troops killed and burned the bodies of a pregnant woman and three men in a gold mining area of Sagaing region’s Pinlebu township in Myanmar, the local People’s Defense Force told RFA on Friday.

They said the victims were 21-year-old Wine Wine, who was eight months pregnant, her father Set Hlaing who owned a gold mine in the township, 21-year-old Shan Lay and Nyi Nyi whose age wasn’t given.

Their burned bodies were found on Monday, according to the defense force information officer, who didn’t want to be named for safety reasons.

“It happened next to Nant Ta Hauk creek beside Mu Le village at around 11 a.m. on August 14,” he said.

“They killed them, and burned a house and dumped all the bodies in there.”

Troops entered Mu Le village in the first week of August, arresting and interrogating locals. They burned more than 30 houses when they left the village, locals told RFA on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

The latest killings come after the troops entered the village for a second time this month.

RFA was unable to independently verify the claims of the People’s Defense Force because phone and internet connections to Pinlebu township have been cut.

The junta hasn’t released a statement on the killings. 

RFA contacted the junta spokesperson for Sagaing region, Tin Than Win, who said he was unaware of the incident.

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn and Taejun Kang.