Myanmar junta troops torture, murder two civilians in Magway’s Myaing Township

A Myanmar army column conducting raids in Magway Region’s Myaing Township tortured and killed two civilian hostages earlier this week, according to local sources. After setting out from the village of Thayetkkan early Tuesday, the column abducted five local residents and took them to a military-run industrial facility near the village of Wetpoke, the sources said. The next day, the badly mutilated bodies of two of the hostages—a man in his 50s and a woman in her 40s—were discovered near Wetpoke, according to a spokesperson for the Anyar Myay Coalition Forces, a resistance group operating in the area. Both victims had been shot in the back of the head, and also showed signs of torture, the spokesperson, Bo Bo Thant Zin, told Myanmar Now. “The woman’s mouth was slashed wide open, all the way from one ear to the other,” he said. “Both of their faces had been slashed—not just with superficial cuts, but with deep gashes.” The deceased could not be identified at the time of reporting. A local man who helped to recover the bodies said they were buried Wednesday evening. The whereabouts and condition of the other three abductees was unknown, the man added. The column that carried out the killings has been raiding villages in Myaing Township since early November, after entering the area from neighbouring Pakokku Township late last month. It is believed to consist of around 400 troops from Light Infantry Division 101, based in Pakokku. The column is currently stationed at the Tatmadaw Heavy Industries (Myaing) factory near Wetpoke, according to locals. Wetpoke was formerly dominated by pro-regime Pyu Saw Htee militia forces and served as a base for junta troops in the area. It was captured by resistance forces in August 2024. Thousands of people living in the area have been forced to flee their homes since the start of the month as the column continues its rampage through the region. On Tuesday, regime soldiers destroyed two huts used to store rice near the village of Ywartanshey, according to Bo Bo Thant Zin of the Anyar Myay Coalition Forces. “The villagers were afraid the dogs [junta troops] would take their rice if they left it in the village, so they moved it to the huts. But the soldiers found the rice and burned all 26 bags until they were completely destroyed,” he said. He added that the displaced villagers have scattered throughout the area, as there are no camps for them to flee to. Most return to their villages after the soldiers leave, often finding their homes damaged or destroyed and their possessions stolen. Myaing Township, which borders Sagaing Region, is regarded as a resistance stronghold. The army controls the major towns and some villages dominated by the Pyu Saw Htee, but resistance forces have a strong presence in most other areas.

Myanmar junta troops torture, murder two civilians in Magway’s Myaing Township

The bodies of both victims, who were among five people abducted by regime forces earlier this week, were severely mutilated

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