The regime's North Western Military Command distributed propaganda letters from a military helicopter in Shwebo District, Sagaing Region, containing hate speech and calling for religious discrimination.

The letters said that the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation had supported terrorists to kill Buddhist monks, and that the Kachin Independence Army had moved its troops to Sagaing Region because it could no longer stay in Kachin State. And that it supports the People's Defence Forces to kill Buddhists.

The letters also said Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party, which was ousted during the 1 February coup, orchestrated the violence against the Burma Army (BA) and the regime in the district, with the name of a local NLD lawmaker also mentioned.

A resident of Ye-U town told NMG that the triangular-folded letters were dropped in Depayin, Ye-U and Tesi townships at 1:30pm on 15 December. According to another man from the same town, the letters were also circulated by helicopter in Kani Township next to the western Chindwin River.

Last week, BA soldiers killed villagers, destroyed houses and stole items during raids on villages in western Depayin. Military columns entered Ye-U Township and stayed in Shaw Phyu on 14 December. The next morning, the BA soldiers travelled to Ting Tein Yan and fired artillery shells indiscriminately in the area.