TANINTHARYI DIVISION – Residents reported that the junta forces looted Taungyarkan Village in Palaw Township after chasing out the villagers.
Junta forces from Palaw based infantry battalion 285 invaded the village in three groups on October 4 then detained everyone inside the village, not even sparing the elders and young children.
“They were detained in their homes. They were all released (on October 5) and chased out of the village,” said a resident of Palaw, adding that those junta forces broke into the houses and stole cash, gold, jewellery and motorcycles, even bringing their own wives to help with the looting.
“The motorcycles were taken away in cars twice. They even brought the wives of the dogs (junta forces). They looted the clothes and robbed the cash and gold in hand. They broke into all the houses,” said another resident of Palaw.
Taungyarkan Village has around 100 houses and the residents shared that over 30 motorcycles and an undetermined amount of cash and gold were stolen by junta forces.
Currently, junta forces are still in the village and the residents dare not return due to their threats.
Junta forces from infantry battalion 285 arrived near Taungyarkan Village around a week ago and one of them was killed by in-fighting, according to locals.
