Confessions of AA insurgent hardcore Maung Tun Kyaw Lin, U Oo Ba Tun, who were ordered to set Manaw Thiri Village ablaze by AA
Having been hit by Cyclone Mocha, the situation in Pauktaw and surrounding villages returned to normal thanks to united cooperation among local residents of the township, Tatmadaw personnel and departmental personnel. However, AA insurgents recently initiated attacks in peaceful, stable and busy Pauktaw Township and with the aim of destabilizing the area, the insurgents deployed thair troops in Pauktaw and nearby villages, destroying and torching houses, departmental buildings and shops. Moreover,AA insurgents recruited hardcore members and ordered them to set villages abandoned by villagers ablaze and to spread false propaganda that the Tatmadaw was destroying and tourching towns and villages. In relation to the destruction and torching of towns and villages by the AA insurgent group, the following is the confession of two detained AA hardcore Manaw Thiri villagers from Pauktaw.
Confession of Maung Tun Kyaw Lin,
I’m Maung Tun Kyaw Lin from Manaw Thiri Village at Pauktaw Township. Last two weeks ago, the fighting was occured in Pauktaw. After that, there were AA (insurgent group) in and out of our village. So that, the villagers fled away because they were afraid of fightings in the village. The AA group asked me and U Oo Ba Tun to wait to report when the army came to the village. The AA group said that there were about 10 of them on the hill to the east of the village. It is said that there is also mine at the entrance of the village. If the army come to the village, they(AA insurgent group) were forced me to burn down the village to make it look like the army had burned down the village and run away . On the side of Pauktaw , they have also forced the villagers to burn the village and told them that the army had burned down the village. When the army arrived in the village, me and U Oo Ba Tun set the village on fire as ordered by the AA( insurgent group). While me and U Oo Ba Tun were burning down the village, the army spotted and arrested both of us.
Confession of U Oo Ba Tun,
I am U Oo Ba Tun from Manaw Thiri Village, Pauktaw Township. It was fightings in Pauktaw about two weeks ago between the army and AA insurgent group. Then, AA came to the Manaw Thiri Village.
The villagers fled because of fearing the fighting. When the army entering the village, Maung Tun Kyaw Lin and me to reoprt it and burning down the village. AA ordered us to misunderstand that the army had set it in fire. That day, the army came to the village . AA ordered us to burn down the villlage. The army arrested us while we were burning down.