In a harrowing account of military brutality, local residents and opposition forces have told the BBC that Myanmar soldiers killed at least 50 people in a raid on a village in Rakhine State last week. The assault, which residents describe as a two-and-a-half-day ordeal of terror, involved soldiers blindfolding, beating, and pouring burning petrol on villagers, and forcing some to drink urine. 

The target of this violence was suspected supporters of the Arakan Army (AA), a formidable ethnic armed group. According to the National Unity Government (NUG), representing the ousted civilian administration, 51 individuals aged 15 to 70 were "violently tortured and killed." The AA, however, estimated the death toll to be even higher, exceeding 70.

Despite these accusations, the ruling military junta has denied any wrongdoing, dismissing the reports as false. The junta's actions, if proven true, could mark one of the most egregious atrocities in the ongoing three-year civil war in Myanmar.

A villager recounted the soldiers' interrogation methods: “They asked the men if the AA was in this village,” she told the BBC. “Whatever answer they gave—whether they said the AA was there or not—the soldiers hit them."

The AA has made significant advances in Rakhine State, capturing most of the region within six months and forcing military retreats. Their operations resumed last year after ending a ceasefire, joining other ethnic insurgents in an effort to overthrow the junta that seized power in February 2021.

One woman, her voice trembling, described the anguish of losing her family: “I saw with my own eyes my husband being taken away in a military vehicle. My son was separated from both of us, and I don't know where he is. Now I don't know if my son and husband are alive or dead.”

Witnesses, whose identities are protected for their safety, told the BBC that the entire village, home to over 1,000 households, was kept outside under the scorching sun for two days with minimal food or water. Dozens of men were tied, blindfolded, and taken away in trucks for further interrogation, with many still missing.

"They were so thirsty, standing all day in the sun, and begged for water. But the soldiers urinated in water bottles and gave them to the men," one woman recounted. The sound of gunshots echoed around them, but she dared not look up. “I didn't dare to look. They called someone standing near me. Then I heard a gunshot. He never came back.”

Crying, she prayed for her family's safety: "I was praying for them, ‘Buddha, please save them’." Survivors overheard soldiers asking for shovels to bury bodies, suggesting an attempt to hide their actions. Some soldiers were reportedly drunk during the raid.

More than 100 soldiers are believed to have attacked Byai Phyu, a village just outside Sittwe, the state capital. Sittwe, a strategic city with a port and airport, remains one of the military’s strongholds, though the AA enjoys significant local support.

Men with tattoos indicating support for the AA faced especially severe torture. Soldiers reportedly cut out the tattooed skin, doused it in petrol, and set it alight. An eyewitness described an officer’s vindictive declaration: he had come from northern Shan State, where the military had suffered losses, to exact revenge.

By Friday, the remaining villagers, mostly women, children, and the elderly, were ordered to leave. They reported that soldiers looted valuables from their homes. Now, most villagers are taking refuge in Buddhist monasteries in Sittwe. The army maintains control of Byai Phyu, preventing residents from returning, with reports indicating much of the village has been burned.

The NUG has vowed to hold those responsible accountable for war crimes in Byai Phyu. The AA condemned the military’s "vicious cruelty" and alleged gang-rapes. The junta, however, denies all allegations, claiming their actions were "peace and security" measures in response to AA activities.

The isolation of Rakhine State and the intense conflict make independent verification of events in Byai Phyu impossible for now. However, survivor accounts provide a grim warning of potential future atrocities as the military continues to lose ground to the determined opposition forces.

For more details, refer to the original BBC article that reports these disturbing accounts .

BOB Post