Myanmar POWs allege civilian kill orders

The Irrawaddy

Myanmar’s military has been accused of ordering its troops to kill all civilians during a faltering counteroffensive in Rakhine State, according to testimony from captured soldiers released by the Arakan Army (AA).

The regime launched Operation 4926 on 4 September in a bid to retake territory lost to the AA, deploying warplanes, artillery and naval units. But the offensive quickly stalled in Kyaukphyu and Ponnagyun townships, where dozens of soldiers, including commanders, surrendered.

On Sunday, the AA displayed weapons seized in recent clashes and published video interviews with two prisoners of war. One soldier, identified as Michael from Infantry Division 101, claimed he was ordered to “execute all ethnic Rakhine people encountered, including women and children”. Another, Aung Pyae Sone, said troops were told to shoot civilians and seize livestock, with no option of retreat.

The Irrawaddy, which reported the claims, said it could not independently verify them. However, former army captain Zin Yaw, who defected after the 2021 coup, told the outlet such orders were consistent with longstanding military tactics. He recalled commanders in Kachin State instructing units to target civilians rather than rebel bases.

The AA now controls 14 of Rakhine’s 17 townships and Paletwa in neighbouring Chin State. It is pressing towards Kyaukphyu, home to a Chinese‑backed economic zone, and the state capital Sittwe. As the counteroffensive falters, the regime has intensified bombardments of civilian areas, destroying schools, markets, hospitals and religious sites.

The allegations of deliberate civilian targeting add to mounting evidence of atrocities in Myanmar’s civil war. If confirmed, they would underline the military’s reliance on collective punishment to weaken ethnic resistance, a strategy condemned internationally but repeatedly used since the 2021 coup.

-2026-09-22