The bodies of three villagers who had been tortured to death by junta soldiers who burned their village down were found outside the village in Sagaing Region’s Monywa Township.

Junta troops raided Htanlaepin Village on the morning of 7 November. They then arrested three villagers and tortured them to death before burning the village down, according to villagers.

The murdered villagers were named as: Htwe Zaw Oo (a.k.a. Upaka), age 37; Kyaw Myo Win, age 40; and Sein Hlaing (a.k.a. Sanny), age 45. According to the villagers who found the bodies they had died from gunshot wounds but had been badly beaten before being killed.

One villager said: “Because Junta troops have been patrolling the village since 7 November, the villagers have been afraid to return. We heard that the Junta troops had left the village on the night of 7 November, which was a big comfort. Some of the villagers returned to the village early in the morning on 9 November, it was then that we found the bodies.”

As well as killing the three villagers the junta soldiers also burned down 11 houses in the village.

A statement from the Chindwin Attack Force said that local defence forces fought with the junta troops after they burned down the village and had succeeded in killing 17 junta soldiers, though six defence force fighters were also killed in the fighting.

The defence force fighters involved in the attack were the Monywa District Battalion People’s Defence Force (PDF) and the Chindwin Attack Force.