Over 300 residents of Yangon Region’s Kawhmu Township who were arrested in connection with an attack on a junta convoy on 3 May had not yet been released on 10 May, a local source told Mizzima.

On the evening of 3 May local defence forces ambushed two Military Council vehicles that had come to clear an area on the Magyikan to Kyaik Htaw Road, in Kawhmu Township. Two junta soldiers, one of whom was a captain, were killed and many others were injured in the attack.

After the incident, the Military Council arrested and interrogated at least 300 locals from the nearby villages of Hnget Aw San, Nyaunghtauk, and Thankyoe, on 3 May.

“The Kawhmu residents were arrested on 3 May, They [Junta forces] are questioning everyone including the children in Hnget Aw San Village. The Junta troops are still interrogating the villagers at Hnget Aw San High School. The attack happened near the three villages. They thought the villagers might be involved in the attack that’s why they are arresting and inspecting the villagers”, a local source in Kawhmu told Mizzima.

The Junta troops have been interrogating around 300 locals from Hnget Aw San, Nyaunghtauk, and Thankyoe villages since 3 May. It’s been over a week. On 10 May they arrested more people, this time from Thapyaytaw Village. The exact number they arrested there is unknown.

A local source said: “The junta troops spread fake news to the detainees. They told them that they [the junta troops] had already killed two villagers from Yaytarshey Village because the villagers were not cooperating with their inspection. They are threatening the detainees to scare them. They are trying to find out what the villagers know about the attack. Junta troops also arrested more people in Tha-pyaytaw Village, but the exact number is still unknown.”

The Southern District People’s Defense Force (PDF) released a statement saying that the attack had been part of the national PDF Nang Htike Aung campaign against the junta. It also said that junta forces were arresting and torturing locals and behaving in a degrading and inhumane way. According to villagers, junta soldiers have set up checkpoints all along the route between Magyikan, Ma Se Seik, and Hnget Aw San villages. They are also patrolling and carrying out ambushes while dressed in civilian clothes.

Also, in Kawhmu Township and the nearby townships of, Kungyangon, and Twantay security has been increased and a curfew between the hours of 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. has been declared, according to a Military Council announcement.