News release on denouncement of media and organizations for distributing false information about Kinma Village fire in Pauk Township, Magway Region
NAY PYI TAW June 19
Of the 225 houses of Kinma Village in Pauk Township, Mag-way Region, about 100 were destroyed by fire during the arson attack of armed terrorists on 15 June.
While members of security forces of Pauk Township were patrolling the township, a gro-up of armed terrorist attacked them with tumees (local hunting guns) and homemade bombs from a hill near the entra-nce signboard of Kinma Village at 11.10 am on 15 June. When the security forces fired them back, the terrorists retreated from the hill. The security for-ces blocked the hill and made a thorough search of the area. When security forces arrived at the halfway of the hill at 11.50 am, terrorists ambushed them. When the security forces hit them back, the terrorists retreated at about noon.
When the security forces were making necessary checks in the area they saw a burning fire in the village. So, they joined forces with reinforcements and entered the village at about 4.30 pm and put out the fire. The fire died down at about 6 pm. A detailed check showed that about 40 terrorists torched the house of U Kyaw Htay, who did not support PDF group, opposite to the village high school at about 2.50 pm. As the wind was blowing, the fire spread and burned down other ho-uses of the village, except from two public meeting houses, two buildings of the branch middle school and about 20 homes.
Security forces searched and rescued Aphwa Daw Khin Su, aged 83, and Aphwa Daw Htwar Sein, aged 81, from two burning houses and sent to the village monastery. The security forces left the village at 6.30 pm.
In connection with the inci-dent, clashes broke out between the security forces and armed terrorists from 11.10 am till noon. The latter set fire to the village and retreated at about 2.50 pm. As those incidents happened, Ko Naing Facebook account broadcast live with a title of shootings occur in east of Kin Creek in Kinma Village, Pauk Township (South). The Facebook account continued to go live with scenes of burning houses and movements of security forces.
Among news media outlets, Khit Thit Media, whose license had been revoked, posted a news story on its Facebook page under the title “Terrorist Military Council sets fire to the whole village of Kinma in Pauk Township” at 4.49 pm on 15 June. The news also read that one third of the village was still on fire until 4.30 pm. While the security forces were trying to put out the fire at the houses, the fact that this media knew the whole village would be burned, the security forces’ only capacity to put out the fire on a limited basis due to their small number of troops and security situation, the attempt of PDF terrorists to burn the village houses as more security forces could not reach and the writing of a story in advance about the fire set by the security forces clearly show that this media outlet and PDF members acted hand in glove.
Likewise, foreign media such as CNN and Reuters and other some local media whose licenses had been revoked published lopsided fake news without assessing the real situation.
Based on inaccurate and fake news published by some people from the media whose licenses have been revoked, the US Embassy and the British Embassy released a state-ment each at 3:37 pm on 17 June and at 6:40 pm on 16 June respectively.
Considering the time when the incident took place, the reports went viral on social media and some foreign embassies issued press releases, the arson attacks on the village took place simultaneously or one after another with the violent attacks on the security forces and it was found that the incident had been voluntary and premeditated by forcing villagers to leave the village earlier and luring the security forces into the village as they had known the approach of the security forces in advance and that they set the house of an individual who does not support their terrorist acts on fire as soon as the security forces entered the village.
It was also found that they tried to collect donations for their terrorist organization by launching the premeditated arson attacks voluntarily and exploiting the incident since some popular accounts on social media including Ko Naing Facebook account invited dona-tions for Kinma Village after the arson attacks.
Therefore, the terrorist PDF, which is made up of NLD hard cores controlled by the terrorist NUG, with the aim of tarnishing the image of the government and increasing international pressure on it, launched the arson attacks during the general assembly of the United Nations on 18 June and the closed-door meet-ing of the security council so that the international commu-nity would think that the security forces had terrorized and set innocent villages on fire.
Concerning the incident, the information team has strongly condemned the acts of foreign and domestic media or-ganizations which have sup-ported the NUG, an illegal organization, and its related or-ganizations through various ways and means behind the scene.
Information Team
State Administration Council