More than 100 houses in Chin State’s Thantlang set on fire by junta forces

By Par Khwi
30 October 2021
More than 100 houses in Chin State’s Thantlang set on fire by junta forces

Myanmar junta forces reportedly set fire to a house in Thantlang, Chin State on Friday, which led to around 100 houses burning down, following a clash with a People’s Defence Force, according local Thantlang community sources.

Fire reportedly broke out at five locations near CB Bank, Zay Ward, Thantlang Township.

The office of charity Save the Children was also burnt down.

The initial fire started after soldiers had taken rice and food from an empty house and set it on fire. No one was able to put out the fire. As of 8 p.m. on Friday more than 100 houses, including two churches, had been burnt to the ground.

At around 8 pm, Zon Mon and Lon Til wards were on fire and COTR and Presbyterian churches caught fire, too.

While the military junta’s troops broke into houses in Thantlang township at around 10 am on Friday, Chinland Defense Force (CDF-Thantlang) opened fire on junta troops. After the death of a soldier from the junta’s force, they fired heavy artillery shells into residential wards in Thantlang township.

Since before the fire started, the Thantlang town had been almost empty because residents in Thantlang already fled following fighting between the junta's army and local armed resistance group on September 18.

Thousands of Thantlang residents fled to India across the nearby border in September.

Largely impoverished Chin State has seen widespread clashes between junta forces and PDF groups over the last few months.

The United Nations said last week it feared an even greater human rights catastrophe amid reports of thousands of troops massing in the north and west of the country.

In May, government forces used artillery to flush out rebels from the town of Mindat in the southern part of Chin state, and later cut off its water supply, according to a spokesman for a local insurgent group.

Additional reporting by AFP, Save the Children