Myanmar villagers battle junta forces

RANGOUN: Myanmar’s junta and villagers traded accusations yesterday after a settlement was razed almost entirely to the ground in the centre of the coup-racked country.

Villagers of Kin Ma in Magway region said junta forces were to blame for its near-destruction, while the military said “terrorists” and windy weather were responsible. Junta troops came to the village this week hunting for members of a local self-defence force, one resident said.

“As people ran, they (the military) shot the village with a rocket launcher. And then we saw the fire,” he said. “We thought they wouldn’t destroy anything so we ran without taking any properties.” An elderly couple died in the fire. The military has sought to quell mass anti-coup protests with bloody crackdowns that have killed more than 850 civilians.