A handout photo. Many Myanmar residents lost their homes after the attack by junta forces on April 4, 2022, in Nga Tin Gyi village, Khin Oo township.As international attention shifts to the Russia-Ukraine war, the Myanmar military’s campaign of attacks against its opponents has ramped up a gear, with villages in the northwest being razed to the ground amid a bid to quell anti-junta forces.
Since the military seized power in a coup 13 months ago, junta forces have set fire to more than 6,000 civilian homes, largely in areas where anti-regime resistance is fiercest. Some of those who did not flee were detained and questioned about whether they knew the whereabouts of local fighters. Sagaing is among the many regions cut off, with connectivity available in only a few cities left, including Kale, Monywa and Shwebo. Many townships began being disconnected last month.“They started raiding our villages after the internet was blocked on March 5 this year,” the Khin Oo resident said. “They came, fired guns to scare villagers, then burned our houses when everyone fled the village. Some elderly residents who couldn’t leave were abducted and questioned.
One fighter from the Sagaing Region Defense Force claimed the blackout had not only weakened the links between the revolutionary forces, but allowed the junta to cover up its human rights abuses and also prevented forces from receiving funding domestically and abroad. In addition to the Sagaing Division, dozens of townships in Kachin State, Mandalay Division, Magway Division Chin, and Kayah states have also been disconnected, and telephone lines have been cut in some townships in Kayah State, where fighting with the military has intensified.Kayah State, the closest state to capital Naypyidaw where top coup leaders are based, has been under blackout since mid-February, and the military council has launched a major offensive.