Junta Accused of Using Muslim Militias to Ransack Abandoned Villages in Kyaukphyu
Residents of Kyaukphyu Township in Arakan State report that Myanmar’s military regime is employing Muslim militiamen to break into and destroy homes in villages deserted due to ongoing conflict.
According to local sources, militiamen have been demolishing houses and looting property from around 20 abandoned villages, including Leikkhamaw, Malakyun, Pyinshae, Kularbar, Gawtu, Chaungwa, Yaynantaung, Zaingchaung, Pyaingsaekay and Hnanphetaung. These areas were largely emptied after residents fled fighting between junta forces and the Arakan Army (AA).
Villagers said household belongings are being loaded onto vehicles and taken away under orders from military officers. After homes are damaged or torn down, items such as furniture, wooden poles, planks and bricks are reportedly transported in large trucks to junta battalions.
“They come in cars and trucks, saying they are following military instructions,” said one Kyaukphyu resident. “After destroying houses, they remove everything valuable and take it to military compounds.”
Locals claim that seized items—including tables, wardrobes, TV stands and construction materials—are being sold by military officers in central Kyaukphyu or distributed among trained Muslim militiamen.
Bricks from a factory in Chaungwa Village are also allegedly being taken to Light Infantry Battalion No. 543, where they are being used to build defensive structures such as bunkers and walls.
A displaced resident from Pyinshae Village said the destruction followed earlier airstrikes. “The military bombed the area and left almost nothing. Then they returned to destroy what was still standing. Only bamboo huts remain in our village.”
Community members warned that the junta’s tactic of using Muslim militiamen to carry out demolitions is deepening tensions between Arakanese and Muslim populations in Kyaukphyu Township.
“In the past, junta soldiers themselves looted villages,” said another resident. “Now they are using Muslims to collect vehicles and household items from homes already destroyed by the military.”
Local sources also reported that more than 100 Muslim internally displaced persons (IDPs) sheltering near Kyauktalone Pagoda have been forcibly recruited by the military since early 2024 and deployed in combat roles.
Meanwhile, the Arakan Army is said to be stepping up its offensive in Kyaukphyu Township, having seized several junta outposts in Kularbar, Katthabyay, Thaingchaung and Hsinbote village tracts.
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