Three Killed and One Woman Arbitrarily Arrested by Junta Troops in Yebyu Township, Tanintharyi Region

May 5, 2025

On May 1, 2025, junta troops stationed near the entrance of Sein Bon village in Yebyu Township, Tanintharyi Region, launched a surprise attack on a passing vehicle. According to local residents, the vehicle was ambushed by soldiers who had been lying in wait. The gunfire resulted in the deaths of three men traveling in the car.

The attack occurred near the entrance to Sein Bon village, part of the Nat Kyi Sin village tract. The victims were identified as Ko Hla Myint, 40, from Phya-thone-Zu village; an unidentified man believed to be around 30 years old from Thatkhwe 4; and another man, aged 35, from Sein Bon village. All three were killed at the scene.

The military later claimed that the victims were members of a local armed resistance group, justifying the assault as a strike against enemy combatants. However, this claim has not been verified, and eyewitnesses from the community strongly insist that the men were civilians traveling peacefully.

In a separate but related incident on the same day, junta forces arrested a woman who had been temporarily displaced from her home in Kan Bauk village and was sheltering near Nat Kyi Sin village, close to Sein Bon. “She’s probably around 30 years old,” said a local source. “They said they needed to question her and took her away. Right now, she’s being detained and interrogated at a center run by the Mawrawaddy Naval Command. She hasn’t been released yet.”

Since the third week of April, the military presence has intensified across Min Thar and Nat Kyi Sin village tracts. Junta troops have been conducting patrols, setting up hidden positions, and expanding their operations, contributing to growing fear and instability across the region.

As a result, over 800 villagers from at least five communities in the Nat Kyi Sin area have fled their homes and become internally displaced persons (IDPs). Local humanitarian support groups are working to locate and assist these vulnerable individuals.

On May 3, pro-junta Telegram channels circulated graphic photos that appeared to show the three deceased victims, raising further concern and fear among civilians.

With no end in sight to the violence, communities in Min Thar and Nat Kyi Sin village tracts continue to suffer. The number of IDPs is steadily rising, and those who have fled are facing critical shortages of food, shelter, and emergency medical care. Local aid workers warn that the situation is deteriorating rapidly, and more support is urgently needed.

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under News