Junta uses Muslim militiamen to destroy villages in Kyaukphyu

By Admin 15 Jan 2026

DMG Newsroom

15 January 2026, Kyaukphyu

Myanmar's military regime is using Muslim militiamen to break into and destroy homes in villages where residents have fled due to fighting in Kyaukphyu Township, Arakan State, according to local residents.

Muslim militiamen have reportedly been demolishing houses and looting household items from around 20 villages, including Leikkhamaw, Malakyun, Pyinshae, Kularbar, Gawtu, Chaungwa, Yaynantaung, Zaingchaung, Pyaingsaekay and Hnanphetaung, which have been depopulated by the fighting.

"Muslims are taking household items away in cars. They say they are acting on orders from military officers. After destroying houses, they remove furniture, house poles, planks and bricks in large vehicles and transport them to junta battalions," said a resident of Kyaukphyu.

Items such as house poles, planks, tables, wardrobes and TV stands are reportedly being resold by military officers in downtown Kyaukphyu and distributed to Muslim militiamen who have received military training.

Bricks from a brick factory in Chaungwa Village are also reportedly being transported by truck to Light Infantry Battalion No. 543, where they are being used to construct bunkers and brick walls.

"The military regime bombed the area and left nothing behind, and then they came back to destroy what remained. In our village, there are hardly any good houses left except bamboo huts," said a displaced resident from Pyinshae Village.

Local residents said the military regime's use of Muslim militiamen to demolish homes in Kyaukphyu Township is fuelling divisions between Arakanese and Muslim communities.

"Usually, it is junta soldiers who raid villages and steal property. This time, they are using Muslims to remove vehicles and furniture from houses destroyed by the military," said another Kyaukphyu resident.

More than 100 Muslim internally displaced persons (IDPs) who were sheltering near Kyauktalone Pagoda have been conscripted by the military regime since early 2024 and used in fighting, according to local sources.

Meanwhile, the Arakan Army (AA) is reportedly intensifying military operations in Kyaukphyu Township and has captured junta outposts in Kularbar, Katthabyay, Thaingchaung and Hsinbote village tracts.