Myanmar town ravaged as civil war rages

Myanmar, Oct 13:  Ten days after Myanmar’s military recaptured Kyaukme in Shan State, the town remains devastated and nearly deserted.
An Associated Press journalist, granted rare access under strict military supervision, confirmed widespread destruction to government buildings, including the courthouse, police station, and hospital.
Civilian homes were largely spared, though most of the town’s 46,000 residents have fled.
Kyaukme, strategically located on a highway linking central Myanmar to China, has changed hands multiple times during the ongoing civil war.
It was seized by the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), an ethnic Palaung militia, in August 2024 but retaken by the military after a three-week battle ending October 1.
The army’s recent offensives, including the earlier July recapture of Nawnghkio, aim to consolidate control ahead of year-end elections widely criticized as undemocratic.
Both sides blame each other for the town’s destruction.
The TNLA accuses the military of using airstrikes and heavy weapons, while the army claims retreating rebels destroyed key infrastructure.
Local residents, many of whom remain displaced, are reluctant to return. Some cited fears of renewed fighting, land mines, and proximity to the still-contested front lines.
AP journalists saw unexploded ordnance near a monastery and damaged structures along the route from Nawnghkio to Kyaukme, guarded by frequent army checkpoints manned by newly drafted soldiers.
With the TNLA believed to be just 32 kilometers away, Kyaukme remains on edge.
Locals say the town’s recovery is unlikely until the surrounding areas are also secured by government forces.