Residents of Dawei accuse the military of bombing and killing civilians from the air to ensure the smooth arrival of junta leader General Min Aung Hlaing during his trip to Dawei.
On the morning of September 18, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, along with some senior military officials, arrived in Dawei from Naypyidaw by air.
A day before their visit, on September 17, junta forces carried out airstrikes on villages near towns in Dawei, Thayetchaung, and Launglon townships in the Tanintharyi Region.
“They came because a new city hall has been built in Dawei. General Min Aung Hlaing was attending that ceremony. There must be other business too. He wouldn’t come all the way just for a city hall opening. It looks like he attended the ceremony while handling other matters as well,” said Ko Bwan, spokesperson for the Dawei District Democracy Movement Strike Committee.
On September 17, the villages of Pakari, Pakhap, and Ywintwin in Dawei Township; Kinshae, Uttu, and Sawphya in Thayetchaung Township; and Wedi, Thapyayshaung, Kyatkyettwin, and Kyauktwin in Launglon Township were bombed by junta forces.
The attacks killed two civilians and left four others seriously injured, including two children under the age of ten, according to reports.
“Just for Min Aung Hlaing’s trip, they bombed places where ordinary people live. This clearly shows how brutal and inhumane they are toward the people,” Ko Bwan added.
A local woman said the bombings struck villages with no active clashes, other than areas near Dawei town itself.
“Those who died yesterday in Wedi were just right near our homes. In the past, when planes came, people didn’t really worry much. They didn’t run. But now, as soon as we hear the sound of aircraft, we’ll have to run to safe places. That day, we weren’t worried and stayed at home. Now, we’re living in fear,” said a woman from Wedi village, Launglon Township.
In 2024, during the opening of Kamyawkin Bridge near Dawei, junta leaders also carried out clearance operations in Launglon Township to secure their attendance, burning down civilian homes in the process.
Currently, junta troops are once again advancing around Dawei and Launglon townships under the pretext of “area clearance operations,” while also arresting and killing civilians, according to resistance forces.
