Three Myanmar women who had been working inside an online scam compound near the Thailand–Myanmar border in Karen State were shot dead by junta troops on the morning of 23 November, according to resistance members who witnessed the incident.
The victims were among a group of workers returning home from a scam operation run by the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA) along the Thaungyin (Moei) River near Minlatpan village, around 10 miles south of Myawaddy. They were shot dead on the road between Minlatpan and Inn Gin Myaing villages.
“These were workers going back from the site. They were heading towards Inn Gin Myaing and Myawaddy. The junta troops shot three girls dead. Their bodies are still lying on the road, and we don’t dare retrieve them because we could be shot. Some of the injured fled back towards Hpalu,” a resistance fighter on the ground told Mizzima.
The killings took place shortly after resistance forces raided the DKBA-run online scam compound on 21 November, following an incident in which some DKBA troops in Minlatpan fired at a revolutionary drone. Several DKBA personnel were detained during the operation.
Workers attempting to leave the compound in the aftermath of the raid came under fire from junta soldiers, killing three women and injuring others. Some of the wounded are being treated in resistance-controlled areas.
“They were walking home. Not all of them were scammers – they were cleaners, cooks, casino staff, and manual labourers in the compound. They told the soldiers they were civilians and workers, but it didn’t matter. The troops shot them anyway,” a local source said.
In a separate incident on the afternoon of 22 November, a pregnant woman travelling from Minlatpan to Inn Gin Myaing village was also shot dead by junta troops. She had been stopped at a resistance checkpoint for security screening but refused to comply and continued on, encountering junta troops who opened fire.
Heavy clashes are ongoing in Minlatpan and Yathae Gu villages as junta forces, along with the Karen Border Guard Force (BGF), mount an offensive in the area. KNU and PDF forces are providing strong resistance.
Junta troops have been bombarding Minlatpan and Hpalu villages daily with heavy artillery and kamikaze drones. At least six civilians have been killed and around 15 injured. More than 500 residents have fled into Thailand. Artillery and small-arms fire from junta forces have landed inside Thai territory, prompting the Thai military to fire 120mm smoke rounds in response.
