A Myanmar military column detained over 20 civilians, including 9 women, during recent operations in Gyobingauk Township, western Bago Region, according to displaced villagers and local resistance groups.
The military column, consisting of over 150 soldiers, entered Thinkhayine village on 29 October, seizing control of a local orphanage school, eyewitnesses reported.
“Villagers who tried to escape were captured, with around 20 people taken away, blindfolded,” a student from the school said.
Among those detained were nine women. The orphanage, which shelters about 300 children and is run by 20 teachers, saw some of its staff and students relocate to Gyobingauk town, while others sought safety in the Bago Yoma mountain range due to the ongoing military presence.
Residents of Thinkhayine, a village with over 100 households, began evacuating about eight days earlier in response to intensified military activity. However, many students and villagers remained in the village, hoping for safety amid ongoing military operations.
“Around eight days have passed since most of the people started fleeing. When we heard the military column moving through nearby villages, we left. Now, no one remains in the village. Landmines have been placed around it, making it too dangerous to return. We’re in the forest feeding porridge to the children, though many adults are going without food,” said a displaced villager hiding in the Bago Yoma mountain range.
The military column began its movements from Bawbin village in Zeegon Township on 24 October, initially with around 120 soldiers. As it progressed through Thakhutpin, Innting, Yonechaung, Uyingyi, and Ayeywar villages, the column was reinforced by an additional 60 troops in Uyingyi. The column carried out raids along its route, said Ko Tayzar Min, a representative of the Bago Yoma-based People’s Defence Force (PDF) battalion.
“The troops reportedly launched a full-scale assault on Thinkhayine orphanage, forcing hundreds of villagers to seek shelter in forests or nearby towns. There are also reports of alleged sexual harassment involving female students at the orphanage,” said Ko Tayzar Min.
The junta’s military column faced resistance along its route, clashing with local People’s Defence Force battalions in Uyingyi on 25 October, Ayeyar Village on 26 October, and Thinkhayine on 29 October.
The military reportedly set fire to seven civilian homes during their occupation of Ayeyar village on 28 October.
By 31 October, the column had returned to its starting point in Bawbin village, Zeegon Township, but local resistance forces warn that tensions remain high, with further clashes anticipated.
