Some people trapped since September 19 in Mway Taw Monastery in Moe Bye Township located at the border of Shan and Karenni States are not freed until September 26 yet, according to the rescue team.
“We can’t enter by the route of downtown Mway Taw. The Military is still stationed in the town so we can’t go through them. There are some locals still trapped in the Monastery where the Military Council soldiers are garrisoning”, a woman who is helping in rescue operations.
Battles broke out near Moe Bye Catholic Church and Pwe Kone Ward for 5 consecutive days starting from September 8. The Military Council troops retreated on September 12 but they advanced again on September 19 and since then stationed in Moe Bye, according to a statement released by local Defence Forces.
Moe Bye PDF made an announcement on September 19 that some locals took refuge in Sat Taw Yar and Mway Taw Monasteries were captured by the Military. Half of the detained civilians were released but the rest are still under the Military’s captivity.
Khu Daniel, Deputy Defence Minister of Karenni State said “We heard that they are threatened to be killed if armed clashes break out. Such threatening can be considered as a form of torture. War is about armed forces and civilians shall not be dragged in. But that one is a usual tactic of the Military. They have used such methods for many years. We can’t exactly say about the situation of the civilians still trapped there".
Until now, some Military Council soldiers in mufti are taking positions in some areas in downtown. Some other troops are stationed on Sat Taw Yar Pagoda Mountain and Karlarwaryi Mountain near Lweying Mingalar Village, the Moe Bye PDF has announced.
Since they relaunched an offensive on Moe Bye, the Military used Armoured Tanks and Artilleries in the battles that broke out between September 19 and 24, according to the local PDFs.
“Currently, most of the clashes are flaring up on the route to Padaung in western Moe Bye. Areas around the Moe Bye-Loikaw route are still calm till now”, an official from KNDO B-03 said.
No more skirmishes broke out this morning despite artillery fires being heard in Moe Bye and military situations remain tense.
Joint forces of MBPDF 1001, MBPDF 1007, Pekhon PDF B-01, Loikaw PDF, Central Region Task Force, DMO 1102 Battalion, Naypyidaw PDF, KNDF, KGF, URF are attacking against the Military Council troops. There were casualties on both sides during the clashes but the specific numbers could not be confirmed separately.
