Nat Chaung village set on fire by army for third time About 150 houses were burnt down

Sagaing Division Locals told RFA that military council troops arrived in Nat Chaung village in Kalemyo on April 10 and set it on fire for the third time.

Aung San, a local teacher, said that after two days of arson, the military council troops had left, but some houses were still on fire until last night.

"I started approaching Nat Chaung yesterday. Here are some of the ones I found to be interesting: With local defense forces. The fire started at night. Early this morning, there was another fire. They burned almost all day today. It was only this evening that we withdrew to Kalemyo. The remaining troops are still in contact with local security forces about three miles north of Nat Chaung village. " I can still hear the sound of artillery. "

"About 150 small bags of paddy were left for us to eat," he said. The house was built last year. I can't even stay in the sun. "

The village was set on fire twice in December and March, burning about 120 homes. This time, villagers estimate that about 150 houses were burnt down. As of last night, the exact number could not be ascertained.

Daw Aye, a villager who fled into the jungle three miles from the village due to the entry of military council troops, found her house on fire when she returned this evening. Aye and his wife, a bean farmer, have been living in someone else's house for more than 17 years and used the savings to build a small house that has just caught fire. She did not cry for fear of offending her husband and young daughters. Daw Aye told RFA that she was tense.

"About 150 small bags of paddy were left for us to eat," he said. The house was built last year. The sun has not yet risen. In other words I have to be very strong. In fact, I do not really want to. I want to cry. I have to stick to other people's houses. I had to build this house without buying anything else because I wanted to live in my own house. It hurts so much to be stuck in someone else's home. Now it is a small house that I have collected for 17 or 18 years. Come back from the forest. Come back from the forest. The man said. If one day your house is set on fire, you will not be able to sleep. I went to bed for about 10 nights in the winter. As a farmer, I can not always stay at home. I had to put all my savings in the house when I was sick. I was afraid that if I cried with all my heart, my daughters and my husband would be even more depressed. That is why I am sad. I do not cry. I never cried. Now that I ask (crying) I'm not feeling well”

Aye said a total of about 50 million kyat was lost in the fire, which left 150 baskets of paddy stored in the rain along with the house.

Another villager was Ko Ye. His 300 lakh house with furniture was on fire. Police say he chose to live a revolutionary life because he had lost all his possessions.

“Household wells. The hole is wide. It's a submerged generator. A cord generator used at home. They also take a lot of household items and destroy them at will. Then there are the six-stroke engines in the village. We removed the pumps there. Expensive items are scarce. After stealing everything, they stole it. They wore no military uniform and wore civilian clothes and their bulletproof vests. I never wore military boots. What we feel is that we do not feel sorry for what we have lost. At the moment, I have a strong desire to be a revolutionary soldier who can do them again. That's how hard the spirits are. If the people have weapons, they will shape them no matter what

CDM Captain Min Maung Maung criticized the inhumanity of the military council forces as inevitably intensifying the Spring Revolution.

"They are no longer protecting the property of the people, they are in fact lost," he said. False spirits. They have no compassion. Gradually, the people began to hate me. On the one hand, the people are worse off than resentful. Men in the burned villages Young people will all become members of the People's Defense Forces. This terrorist army did not do it now. In other words, you should not even call in the military because of what has happened over and over again. "I can assure you that this terrorist insurgent army will inevitably disintegrate under the curse of the people."

More than 250 telephones were reportedly looted from villagers seeking refuge in two monasteries in Nat Chaung village, and it was not easy for them to flee into the jungle.

RFA contacted General Zaw Min Tun, a spokesman for the military council, about the villagers' remarks, but he did not return a call.