Troops kill 2 men in Myanmar’s Kachin state

Three men from Kachin state’s Momauk township died on the same day after running into junta troops, locals told Radio Free Asia on Friday.

On Wednesday, a column of around 250 troops stormed Au Htan Yang village.

They stopped two men who were riding a motorcycle to the village, according to a local who didn’t want to be named for safety reasons.

“When the column was entering Au Htan Yang village, two young men riding down from Pang Kawng Mu village were arrested and interrogated,” the local said. 

“One was tied up on his back and killed. The other one was killed at the garbage dump of Dawt Hpon Yan village [Yin Kwe Taung village].”

The troops then took another 10 people to use as human shields, according to the local.

As they headed towards the headquarters of the anti-junta Kachin Independence Army, one man in his 40s, identified as Chit Min, was killed by a shell explosion.

“The young people were crouching down when the heavy artillery landed,” the local said.

“Chit Min was not able to crouch and was hit. His body was found on the morning of August 31.”

The other nine hostages were released on Thursday evening, the resident added.

Kachin state-based news organization 74 Media reported Friday that around 100 people from villages in the township fled to a Christian church and other ‘safe places’ while the battle between the troops and the Kachin Independence Army continued.

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