Civilians passing through military checkpoints in Myingyan Township, Mandalay Region, were arrested and later killed by junta troops and pro-military Pyu Saw Htee militias, according to local residents.
Around 30 people, including women and minors, were reportedly killed between October 2024 and April 2025. Their families, unaware of their fate for months, had already held alms-giving ceremonies in their memory.
The victims were allegedly detained while traveling to Myingyan for shopping or delivering goods. Many were stopped at Pyu Saw Htee-operated internal checkpoints or one of the eight military checkpoints surrounding the town.
“Four or five people from some villages were taken. Their families had no clue for months whether they were alive or dead. Only after learning of their deaths did they begin performing merit-sharing ceremonies. I know of at least 20 people who were killed. They were tortured to death, not shot. The bodies weren’t returned to families,” a resident said.
Among the deceased were seven women aged between 35 and 40, two boys around 15 years old, and numerous men in their 40s. Sources close to the Pyu Saw Htee militia confirmed that some of the bodies were thrown into rivers, buried in shallow pits, or burned – an apparent attempt to destroy evidence.
One source said, “Five people were killed in our village – a husband and wife, a mother and son, and another man. Their vehicles and belongings were taken too.”
Victims reportedly came from eight villages in the eastern and southern parts of Myingyan Township.
Local sources have confirmed the identities of 20 individuals, and a Pyu Saw Htee-linked informant provided 10 additional names. Due to security concerns, the names of the victims and villages have not been publicly released.
Local residents believe that informants, known as “Dalan” in Burmese, tipped off the junta and Pyu Saw Htee militias. In some cases, detainees were only released after families paid ransoms of 10 million kyats (US$4,760) each, according to those close to the families.
Even though villagers followed required procedures – registering and obtaining recommendation letters from Pyu Saw Htee groups before entering Myingyan – they were still arrested, and their belongings, including trucks, were seized.
Local defence forces confirmed that Thida Yu Mon, a Pyu Saw Htee leader closely cooperating with the junta, is overseeing internal checkpoints.
Over 50 people remain missing, and their families have received no information about their whereabouts or whether they were transferred to police custody or prison. The fate of many remains unknown.
