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.