The Myanmar military arbitrarily detained, tortured, and killed at least five civilians—including three humanitarian aid workers—during a July 2026 counteroffensive in Yebyu Township, Tanintharyi Region.
According to an Aug. 31 report published by Fortify Rights, the atrocities occurred as regime forces moved to secure territory surrounding the strategically vital Dawei Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and Russian-backed deep-water port project.
Documented atrocities and civilian impact
The military operation displaced thousands of residents across northern Tanintharyi as regime columns executed civilians and engaged in systematic arson:
- Aid Worker Executions: On July 9, regime troops stopped civilian vehicles in Khamaung Chaung village and detained three members of the Ants Humanitarian Aid Team—a youth-led relief group established in October 2024. On July 20, their bodies were discovered bearing severe neck and head wounds in an oil-palm plantation between Aye Ka Ni and Wa Zun Taw villages, alongside a fourth victim dressed in a People’s Defence Force (PDF) uniform.
- Killing of Religious Figure: Local reports allege that soldiers forcibly derobed and killed a Buddhist monk in Kone Thar Yar Inn village during the clearance operations.
- Village Arson: Eyewitnesses confirmed that regime forces set fire to civilian homes in both Aye Ka Ni and Wa Zun Taw villages.
The July offensive followed a June 26 directive from military Deputy Commander-in-Chief Kyaw Swar Lin ordering the Coastal Region Military Command (RMC) in Myeik to secure the SEZ and the critical Ye–Dawei–Myeik–Bokpyin–Kawthaung highway corridor.
| Dimension | Operational & Geopolitical Framework |
| Moscow Agreements | The Dawei SEZ—encompassing a deep-sea port, oil refinery, and coal power plant—was among 12 bilateral pacts signed between Min Aung Hlaing and President Vladimir Putin in Moscow (Aug 17–20, 2026). |
| Russian Energy Contract | EU-sanctioned Russian state energy firm Inter RAO signed a deal on June 5, 2026, with the military-controlled Launglon Economic Development Company to construct a coal power plant at the SEZ. |
| Armed Resistance Contest | Nearly 1,000 troops deployed to the project area, sparking heavy clashes with the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) Brigade 4, which contests territorial control over the development site. |
| Project Pre-Coup History | Initially launched with Thailand in 2008, the SEZ was canceled by the elected NLD government prior to the 2021 coup following repeated contractual defaults and financial delays. |
International Crisis Group (ICG) Senior Asia Advisor Richard Horsey noted that while Naypyidaw is desperate to revive the Dawei hub to generate foreign currency and attract investment, the multi-billion-dollar infrastructure project remains largely unviable for Moscow given the financial strain of its ongoing war in Ukraine.
In its report, Fortify Rights called on ASEAN member states, Russia, and international commercial entities to immediately terminate business ties with the Myanmar regime, emphasizing that foreign investment in active conflict zones directly fuels military atrocities against local populations.
