In a concerning development, over 250 local residents from Butalin Township in Sagaing Region have been arrested following a series of military raids. According to reports from local residents, the military council, operating under the Northwestern Military District (NMD) based in Monywa, conducted the raids over three consecutive days, from December 25 to 27.
The crackdown began at 4 a.m. on December 25, when a military convoy of five vehicles entered Zee Taw village. Civilians were reportedly detained in large numbers during the operation. Subsequent raids targeted multiple villages, including Shwe Chaung Yan, Thayet Toro, and Kan Thit, with arrests also extending to travelers on the Monywa-Butalin road.
Eyewitness accounts describe the arrests as indiscriminate, with both residents and visitors being detained. The raids have caused widespread fear and uncertainty in the region, with families and communities anxiously awaiting information about the fate of those taken into custody.
The Sagaing Region has been a hotspot for military operations, with ongoing tensions between the military council and local resistance forces. These arrests are the latest in a series of actions that have disrupted the lives of civilians and heightened the humanitarian crisis in the area.
Local and international observers have expressed concerns about the increasing number of arbitrary detentions and the lack of transparency surrounding the arrests. Advocacy groups are calling for immediate action to ensure the safety and rights of those detained.
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