The military council army tortured and interrogated the locals who were arrested as human shields during the battle in eastern Dawei, Tanintharyi Region, the People’s Defense Force told Than Lwin Times.

On September 6, the military council army, which suffered heavy losses in the battle near the village of Bawapin in eastern Dawei, detained more than 130 local people, including women and children, as human shields inside the village monastery.

The regime forces tortured local youths and middle-aged men by tying their hands behind their backs, kicking them with military boots, punching them with rifle butts, hitting them with guns, beating them with ropes.

"They beat the suspects and interrogated them. They also asked for the location of the PDF camps and the names of the members," a PDF member of eastern Dawei told Than Lwin Times.

In addition, the junta army raided the houses in the village and ransacked food and forced the hostages to cook for them. Those arrested have not been released yet.

Currently, the junta troops stationed inside the village monastery are waiting for reinforcements to return to Dawei, and on the way back, the captured locals are likely to be used as human shields.

The PDF reported that no local defense forces were hurt during the clash in Bawapin village, but at least seven members of the military council were reported dead.