The Kale People Defence Force (Kale PDF) announced that they wiped out a group of about 50 people, led by Shine Thar, for looting gold and money, conducting sexual abuse of women, and killing of drug addicts in southern villages in Kale township.

The group named “the Dalan (informants) Clearing Team”, led by 30-year-old Shine Thar, has been harassing villagers in Tin Thar tract, Doe Nwe tract, Ingyun tract, Kyauk Pyoke track and Koke Ko groups in the southern part of Kale Township since June.

Members led by Shine Thar themselves have filed complaints about their group's war crimes to Kale PDF. Therefore, Kale PDF warned them to stop, but they did not comply.

"They are not under the auspices of the Kale People's Defense Force. They gathered people weapons and ammunition from Kale’s South villages and formed an armed group called the Dalan (informants) Clearing Team. They are killing drug users, committing rapes, and confiscating valuable things. That's why we made a military operation and annihilated it,” an official from the Kale People's Defense Force told Mizzima.

Youths in the group led by Shine Thar tried to leave but could not do so due to fears for their families’ lives.

At present, the Kale People's Defence Force is working with local village officials to return more than 1,090,000 kyats worth of property, 17 kinds of gold jewelry and 10 motorcycles belonging to the villagers who were physically abused by Shine Thar.