Soldiers torch village chief’s house and jhum huts in Chin state

Khonumthung News: 24July 2006

Based on the suspicion that a village chief and the villagers were sympathizers of armed dissidents, Burmese soldiers went on the rampage and torched the headman’s house and jhum huts in Paletwa Township, Chin state, Burma.

A section of the Burma Infantry Battalion (IB) – 550, under the command of Sergeant Me Maung burnt down the house of Hen Ngaih, the chief of Sat Shai village and the jhum huts in the village. The order to terrorize the village was reportedly issued by Lieutenant Htun Htun of Mareitwa camp.

The Burmese military took this drastic step alleging that the village harboured sympathy for and provided food to the Chin National Army (CNA) in the jhum huts. The Burmese Army launched an operation to flush out the CNA after receiving information of the armed group’s presence in Paletwa Township in early June.

A villager told Khonumthung on the Indo-Burma border that Tura Iang Burma military camp commander summoned Hen Ngaih to give detailed information of the movement

of the CNA. Hen Ngaih instead sent Phoe Kyaw to meet the camp commander.

Phoe Kyaw returned with the information that the Tura Iang camp commander was not happy with his visit and apprehended dire consequences from the army. On the advice of the chief, Sat Shai villagers' sought refuge in other villages fearing Burmese army atrocity, sources added.

Sergeant Me Maung's unit was told to arrest Hen Ngaih, who had been hiding in other villages. The soldiers confiscated Hen Ngaih’s domestic animals of and torched his house.

Later, the Burmese soldiers burnt the jhum huts of the villagers and warned them not to sleep in their fields. Jhum cultivators spend week after week in their fields during massive work, sources said.

Hen Ngaih’s family fled to Mizoram, India after the Burmese Army burnt down their house.