Myanmar Army arrests village administrator and medical officer after using villagers as human shield in battle

Myanmar Army and police are persecuting villagers from Re Gaung Chaung village,

in northern Arakan, where there are ongoing clashes between the Myanmar Army and

Arakan Army. Since November, number of clashes was occurring in northern Arakan everyday

after Myanmar Army launched offensive attacks against the Arakan Army by using air force

and long rang mortars like howitzer artilleries therefore villages in northern Arakan particularly strife-torn Re Gaung Chaung village was hit bombs and mortars by Myanmar Army. Moreover, villagers, village administrator and medical officer from Re Gaung Chaung were arrested after Myanmar soldiers raided village and forced entire villagers to leave their village for monastery  on 28.12.2018.

Before raiding Re Gaung Chaung, eleven villagers from Say Taung were forced to walk in front of Myanmar soldiers. That is to say that Myanmar Army used them as human shield in the battlefield. Local media like RFA and The Irrawaddy telephoned Ye Gaung Chaung’s administrator and  he confirmed human shield used by Myanmar Army therefore he was soon arrested along with medical officer when his village was raided, looted and demolished.

In Re Gaung Chaung, there were 302 houses, 350 families, 690 males, 720 females and total population was 1410.  On Thursday, ICRC announced that there are over (1000) displaced villagers whom ICRC is assisting in the fighting area of northern Arakan, western so-called Myanmar. The same day, Arakan National Party released statement demanding Myanmar Army not to threaten villagers with force and not to frighten them off  and demanding also not to block humanitarian workers who help displaced persons caused by Myanmar Army offensive attacks against the Arakan Army.