In December, the Military Council set fire to villages in Tabayin township Sagaing division, under the pretext of clearing the area, and more than 3000 homes were reduced to ashes. Villagers from more than 30 villages are now in urgent need of emergency assistance, said an official of the Tabayin Brothers Charity Group.

“In the early days, the monasteries helped cook the rice and beans provided by the donors. Some of the displaced people solved their food issues by themselves. We can only support a family with 1-pyi of rice and 10,000 kyat of cash. About 3000 households are in dire need, so it is very difficult to help everyone.

If they have any health problems, it is difficult to get medical treatment”, he said.

The Military Council forces burned villages in Tabayin were troops from the 364th Light Infantry Regiment based in Mawlaik and the 701st Infantry Regiment based in Hmawbi. After the troops left on December 30th, locals affected by the fire have been living in temporary tents.

The charity official said “At this time it is not easy to start reconstruction processes. So they have to live in temporarily in tents. Some have taken refuge in monasteries. All face many difficulties. The cost of constructing a hut is also expensive, and it is not convenient to build them in the current situation.”

In the post- coup period Military Council troops have set ablaze to more than 40,000 houses throughout Myanmar. More than 30000 of them were in Sagaing division, and more than 4500 houses were burned in Tabayin township alone.