Soldiers burn down 2 Ponna Kyunt villages with no provocation

 The Burmese army personnel have burned down two villages namely  Ray Yo Byint   and Kha Mong Daw under Ponna Kyunt township, a few kilometers away from the capital city of Sittwe, on Saturday.

A local resident informed that at around 2 am, nearly 100 junta soldiers entered Ray Yo Byint village with non-stop firing and set the entire village on fire.

“Later the soldiers went to Kha Mong Daw village and set the houses on fire by 4:30 pm. The villagers fled in fear of atrocities,” he added.

The soldiers came by the naval ships and prior to their disembarkment, the navy personnel fired continuously with heavy weapons on the village.

Another resident confirmed that the soldiers had burnt everything in both the villages.

“There is nothing left. All houses were set on fire. They have destroyed the villages,” he added.

There are nearly 150 houses in Ray Yo Byint village and Kha Mong Daw supports around 300 families. Both the villages are located on the other side of a creek near Shwe Mingang port.

The Sittwe residents informed that the villages are a few kilometers away, but even though they could see the spiral smoke in the sky

Thousands of villagers have fled to safer places leaving all their belongings in the villages.

A Sittwe-based politician alleges that the Burmese soldiers have not been following the Rules of Engagement (RoE) which must be honoured when the soldiers engaged in wars against the Arakan Army members. The junta forces are targeting the Rakhine population even in residential areas.

The Ponna Kyunt city market and Pong Taw market have been destroyed by the soldiers. Both the markets are known for various food items. The soldiers set both the markets on fire.

On 26 November, a Ray Yo Byint resident was injured after the soldiers used a drone to shoot over the village in the afternoon hours.

Next day, the military council forces shot with a drone that destroyed a Ray Yo Byint monastery.

The residents from both the villages and also Aung Myay Gone, Aung Zeya, Sar Taung Boke and Kan Chaung have fled to safer places as the soldiers continued firing from the land as well the river using navy personnel.