BANGKOK (TIP): Recent fierce fighting between Myanmar‘s army and local militant groups has killed at least 26 civilians, including six children, in area east of the capital, according to reports on June 15 by a resident, a rights group and a medical assistance group.
The fighting took place in Shan State’s Pekon township, a hotly contested area in the armed struggle that arose after February 2021 when the army seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.
The takeover prompted widespread public protests, whose violent suppression by the security forces triggered an armed resistance that now spans much of the country. The recent fighting has focused on Mobye, a conglomeration of villages covering about 175 square kilometers (about 70 square miles) located about 100 kilometers (60 miles) east of the capital, Naypyitaw.
The area is between the capital and an area dominated by the Karenni ethnic minority group, which also has been fighting against the military-installed government.
Newly formed militia units opposed to military rule are part of a loosely organized People’s Defence Force (PDF) which has allied with well-established armed ethnic minority groups such as the Karenni, the Karen and the Kachin.
The ethnic groups have been fighting the central government for more than half a century, seeking greater autonomy in border regions.
More than 100 soldiers marched into one of Mobye’s villages on May 27, arresting about 100 residents, most of whom were released after being detained for a few days in two Buddhist monasteries. Most have since fled the area. A Mobye resident told The Associated Press on Wednesday that some villagers had hidden in their homes to avoid arrest, and were among at least 26 people killed, either shot dead in their homes or when they went out onto the street or killed by artillery strikes. (PTI)