Regime Detains Civilians After PDF Attack In Southern Burma

By Network Media Group
Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Last week, the People’s Defence Force (PDF) attacked the People’s Militia Force (PMF), which is a proxy group of Burma’s military regime, in the island village of Kyauk Kar in Taninthari Region.

An anonymous source told NMG the PDF soldiers burnt a government office and destroyed the PMF leader’s house during the clashes that lasted 2 hours in the village in Palaw Township. A militia soldier was captured alive and two assault rifles seized.

The resistance fighters quickly fled the island in boats after the Burma army was sent in later that evening to help the militia group that had taken cover on a hill overlooking the village. The regime shelled Witap and Mya Dawng villages with artillery.

The next day, the Burma army arrested and beat almost 40 Kyauk Kar residents, including several youth members of the National League for Democracy. A anonymous source told NMG they were forced to squat in the sun for many hours during interrogation. 7 people, including a woman, were taken to the army’s Infantry Battalion base in Palaw town, while the rest were freed.

The regime frequently detains fishermen and their vessels from Kyauk Kar, where there are 1,000 homes, and the surrounding areas, forcing them to transport their weapons and other military equipment by water.