Military regime troops murder civilians in Taze Township
By Network Media Group
March 5, 2024
Over the past two weeks, the military regime’s Ogre Column has murdered 11 local people in western Taze Township of Sagaing Region, according to local sources and pro-military Telegram channels. Over 30,000 people from more than 40 villages in Taze Township fled their homes after the Column started moving around in western Taze Township on 19 February.
The Orge Column has been on a killing spree since late Febraury. The Ogre Column murdered civilians from Kan Htoo Ma, Waya Nge, Hsue Per Kon, Ywa Thit Kon, Inn Pin Dai, Pan Htein Kon and Khan Taw villages in western Taze township. Two of the 11 people killed were PDF members and the other nine were civilians.
The Orge Column is known for torture and overkill. Local people reported that Orge Column soldiers chop-up the dead bodies of the people they kill.
Ko Htoo Khant Zaw, who is the Information Officer for the People’s Defense Comrade based in Ye-U township of Sagaing Region, said that “a combined force of Ogre Column, which comes from Ye-U Township, and troops led by monk U Wathawa and the Pyusawhtee PMF, which come from Kantbalu Township, raided civilian villages in Taze Township. They murdered civilian people and chopped dead bodies into pieces.”
On 19 February, soldiers from the Ogre column killed a 30-year man from Hsue Per Kon village. On 24 February, they killed a 70-year old man from Hsue Per Kon village. On Feb 26, the column killed two 50-year old men, who were PDF members from Hka Naw village. On 1 March, Orge Column soldiers killed a 25- year old man from Inn Pin Dai village, two 50-year old men from Zee Pouk village and a 45-year old man from Ywa Thit village.
Other recent murders committed by the Ogre Column include a 30-year old man and a 40-year old man who were detained in a police station in Kan Htoo Ma village, and a 35-year old man from Pan Htein Kon village.
“The Ogre column is infamous for brutally murdering civilians in Sagaing Region. They beheaded villagers. They cut off arms and legs. They also cut out stomachs, intestines and livers from the dead bodies,” Ko Htoo Khant Zaw told NMG.
Ko Htoo Khant Zaw said that the Ogre Column uses late-night surprise raids to terrorize and murder villagers.
“The strategy is to launch surprise raids on civilian villages at night when the villagers are sleeping or nearly asleep. Civilians are not able to flee at this late hour. This is why civilians were murdered by this Burma army military column,” Ko Htoo Khant Zaw told NMG.
At the moment, local people afraid to return to their villages in western Taze Township. The majority of IDPs continue to take shelter in safer areas. These IDP need emergency humanitarian assistance.
