Sagaing Region — "Rather than conventional warfare, this Ogre Column concentrates on carrying out monstrous acts of cruelty and rape. Their actions are barbaric ,."

Ko Nway Oo from the Civilian Defense and Security Organization of Myaung (CDSOM) addressed the actions of the Ogre column in the Sagaing Region, stating that they have committed war crimes. “In the Sagaing Region, the Ogre column, is responsible for brutal beheadings, mass murders, and sexual assaults, it is a column that will be forever remembered with deep bitterness by all.”

During the period from the third week of August to the second week of September this year, the Ogre column, marked by its brutality, mercilessly killed individuals following military operations in Sagaing, Shwebo, and Wetlet. “ The war crimes committed by the Ogre Column in Sagaing, Shwebo, and Wetlet have taken place as part of the Junta’s plan to restore the Mandalay-Shwebo-Myitkyina railway. To accomplish this task, they have deployed seven columns to clear the area between August 21 and September 11.

Among the seven columns, the actions of the Ogre column left the public with an indelible trauma.

"On the 21st, five individuals were murdered in one location. Subsequently, their bodies and hands were dismembered, and their heads were hung up in another location This horrifying incident took place in Htantawseik village, Sagaing," reported Ko Naing Gyi, PDF Information Officer of Wetlet Township.

Ko Naing Gyi also mentioned that innocent residents from Kyeekan (South) and Kyeekan (North) villages in Wetlet Township were subjected to brutal killings.

"On the 26th, military operations were carried out in Kyeekan (South) and Kyeekan (North) villages in Wetlet Township. Two individuals from Kyeekan (South) village were killed during these operations. Upon their arrival in Kyeekan (North) village, four family members were apprehended and subsequently killed. Two women were raped and  killed. One of them experienced the insertion of a bottle of soft drink into her genitals before her throat was slashed with a knife. In total, six individuals lost their lives—four in Kyeekan (North) village and two in Kyeekan (South) village."

Local People's Defense Forces and administrative officials have confirmed that they received information indicating that one of the two women who were raped and killed, had a bottle of Royal D drink inserted into her genitals before her life was brutally ended by having her throat cut with a knife.

It is reported that officials from Wetlet Township PDF have collected substantial evidence regarding the war crimes committed by the Ogre Column in Wetlet Township.

According to officials from Wetlet PDF and individuals assisting those displaced by the conflict, several military units, including Light Infantry Battalion 708, Light Infantry Battalion 364, Light Infantry Battalion 469, Light Infantry Battalion 12, Shwebo No.8 Military Training School, Light Infantry Battalion 701, and the Ogre column, entered Wetlet Township from three different directions.

'The Ogre column engaged in a relentless and brutal campaign, involving extensive military operations, and the killing of civilians.' The Ogre column has been actively traveling and conducting military operations in both 2022 and 2023. It is reported that the Ogre column does not engage in the burning of villages or ground military activities in the areas like some other military columns during their military operations.

"There is no ground-level military activity at all. Their operations are limited to nighttime and dawn hours, exploiting the vulnerability of sleeping civilians and resting defense forces. Escaping becomes challenging due to their sudden raids into villages. When the Ogre column arrives, villages within a fifty-mile radius are completely avoided," explained an individual assisting those displaced by the conflict in Ye-U Township.

It is said that the Ogre column is solely dedicated to the perpetration of murder and rape.

"Whether it's civilians or members of the PDF, the Ogre column shows no mercy – they kill on sight. When they capture individuals, especially young men, regardless of their affiliation with the PDF or any other group, their executions are ruthless. They refrain from burning or causing destruction; their primary objective is taking lives. Furthermore, their killings are exceptionally brutal. Residents are aware that encountering them would likely result in death, so they have fled in advance," explained Ko Nway Oo from the Civilian Defense and Security Organization of Myaung (CDSOM).

On March 30, 2023, during their military operations in Myaung Township, Sagaing Region, the Ogre column under the Military Council captured and brutally beheaded Bo Sin Yine, the deputy battalion commander of the People's Defense Forces (PDF) Sagaing District Battalion 1, during the battle. Bo Sin Yine became the first victim of beheading in Myaung Township.

On the night of February 25, 2023, during the Ogre column's raid on Padattaing Village in northern Myinmu Township, Ko Maw Kun, a member of the Defense Forces who attempted to attack with a landmine, was brutally dismembered and killed. The same column that killed Ko Maw Kun also beheaded 15-year-old Ko La Min Sein (aka Phoe Sein), 17-year-old Phoe Kae, and 19-year-olds Ko Myo Zin and Ko Zaw Myo Thant while continuing their raid on Kantaw village on February 26. Some of them were members of the defense forces.

Following that, on February 28, they extended their raid to Tartaing Village in Sagaing Township, east of Myinmu Township, where they killed 17 local villagers. Subsequently, on March 5, they carried out a two-day raid on Letkapin Village in Myinmu Township, during which they massacred 10 local villagers.

Additionally, while raiding Letkapin Village, the Ogre column captured Abbot Sayadaw Agga Wuntha and four civilians, who were later killed by the column.

"They killed Ko Sin Yine and then severed his head completely, and we have drone footage as strong evidence. As for the young men, they pierced their stomachs, removed their intestines, and proceeded to sever their genitals and place them in their mouths. After beheading them, they hanged the victims in various locations. It can only be described as a column that commits extreme and grotesque brutality," explained Ko Nway Oo.

Ko Nway Oo also highlighted that as early as August, the Ogre column had infiltrated Myaung Township and committed a gruesome act by brutally killing a young cowherd, slashing his throat, and piercing his stomach.   "The Ogre column infiltrated Myaung once more, this time in August. They brutally killed a young cowherd, tying his hands behind his back, slashing his throat, and piercing his stomach, ultimately ending his life," revealed Ko Nway Oo.

Similarly, on May 10, 2022, the Ogre column was responsible for the deaths of nearly 30 civilians in Montaingpin village, Ye-U township, according to the National Unity Government (NUG).

The definition of 'Ogre Column'

A number of revolutionary forces said that the Ogre column wasn't simply a formation of a single battalion or unit, but rather an assemblage meticulously composed and meticulously chosen as the best-candidates from units within the 99th Division, 77th Division, 33rd Division, and also included soldiers of the 709th Light Infantry Battalion.

It can also be stated that the Ogre column gained nationwide attention through videos and photographs depicting the tragic killing of 26 local residents in Ye-U Township, Sagaing Region, committed by certain soldiers of the Military Council.

In an RFA report from June 17, the videos and photographs showing soldiers believed to have arrested and killed villagers in Ye-U Township, Sagaing Region, have sparked outrage among people throughout the nation. The column in question is affiliated with the 708th Light Infantry Battalion, which operates under the No. 4 Military Operations Command, situated in Yangon.

This Military Operations Command is positioned between Hmawbi Township and Taikkyi Township. Revolutionary forces based in Sagaing Region have reported that soldiers from this battalion were also involved in the formation of the Ogre column.

According to military experts, the No. 4 Military Operations Command is regarded as a combat force that operates under the guise of a 'Light Infantry Division Command.' It is structured to engage in warfare as necessary, adapting to the strength and movements of the enemy, without being bound to a specific military region.

"Their military tactics distinguish them from other columns. They continually change their strategies. During our initial exchange of fire, they displayed a fearlessness of death. Amidst the gunfire, they stood their ground and advanced," remarked Ko Nway Oo when describing the encounter with the Ogre column in Myaung Township.

It is believed that the Ogre column has employed drugs in warfare and operates with a fearless and death-defying mindset.

Ko Nway Oo from the Civilian Defense and Security Organization of Myaung (CDSOM), shared the following insights regarding the appearance and movement patterns of the Ogre column soldiers.

"As far as we're aware, they show no fear of death. It's almost like dealing with monsters. Regardless of the volume of gunfire directed at them, they persist until they're hit and incapacitated, consistently advancing. Their conduct bears a resemblance to individuals influenced by drugs, seemingly impervious to pain or mortality. We interpret their military actions in light of this perspective.”

Ko Nway Oo further emphasized that the Ogre column distinguishes itself from other battalions, units, divisions, and columns of the Military Council. "When it comes to other columns, if they sustain high casualties, warplanes are dispatched to assist them. However, with the Ogre column, regardless of the extent of their casualties, we haven't witnessed the arrival of supporting warplanes. They persist in battle, even if it means facing death. Even if the entire column is decimated, they continue to fight until no one remains," Ko Nway Oo stated.

Ko Naing Gyi, PDF Information Officer of Wetlet Township, mentioned that upon learning of the Ogre column's entry, the residents in the neighboring villages had to swiftly evacuate and take immediate measures to enhance their security. He further explained, "This column has a track record of killing, when apprehending individuals. A significant majority of those they encounter meet tragic ends, causing heightened fear and anxiety. Because this column is causing more casualties, our immediate priority is to ensure the safety of local residents. We are taking steps to provide them with protection through the PDF and evacuate them to a secure location.”

Ko Naing Gyi stated that the Ogre column, which arrived in Wetlet Township in the final week of August, initially comprised roughly 100 members. However, when the column departed from Wetlet Township, its strength had reduced to approximately 60 members. Despite the Ogre column's efforts to instill fear in the public, their actions have generated more disgust and hatred than fear among the populace.

The atrocities committed by the Ogre Column of the Military Council include several incidents: the tragic deaths of nearly 30 civilians in Montaingpin Village, Ye-U Township, in May 2022; the killing of civilians in Myinmu Township in February 2023; the massacre of 10 local villagers in Letkapin Village, Myinmu Township, on March 5; the case involving PDF deputy battalion commander Bo Sin Yine and his team in Myaung Township on March 30; the killing of 6 civilians in Wetlet Township in the third week of August.

The Military Council has persistently kept these incidents hidden from the public eye, all the while making repeated claims that they are safeguarding the welfare of the public. Ko Nway Oo pointed out that the Ogre column could have been deliberately formed by the Military Council to carry out dirty operations made to appear outside the military command..

The NUG has stated that the Military Council's troops have committed blatant violations of human rights, including the destruction of civilian homes, brutal killings, and war crimes against humanity, all of which have gone unpunished. Therefore the international community must step in to ensure that these perpetrators face the appropriate consequences.

During the 2nd anniversary of the declaration of the people's resistance war, NUG Acting President Duwa Lashi La urged the international community to maintain its exclusion of the 'terrorist' Military Council, intensify sanctions, and extend aid to the people of Myanmar who are suffering from human rights abuses perpetrated by the military. This he emphasized, would demonstrate that there is no place for military dictators in the world.

Based on information collected since the military coup up until August of this year, the NUG has reported that 4,023 civilians have lost their lives due to terrorist attacks by Military Council troops, without discrimination between military or civilian targets. Furthermore, they note that over 1,400 airstrikes have been carried out on residential and religious buildings.

According to individuals actively engaged in the region, the Ogre column's purpose is straightforward: it is intended to instill fear.  A person assisting war-displaced individuals in Myaung Township stated, "The public's disgust is matched by their heightened fear. The military's actions have left people with the belief that any encounter with them would result in experiencing these same harrowing events."