Junta Executes Civilian in Sawphya Village Amid Dawei SEZ Land-Clearance Offensive

As the junta's clearance offensive around the Dawei Special Economic Zone continued through August 24, 2026, local resistance sources reported that soldiers executed U Soe Tun, 53, and buried his body at a pagoda in Sawphya Village, Thayetchaung Township, Tanintharyi Region. Thousands of residents from more than ten villages across Thayetchaung, Launglon, and Myitta townships have fled their homes as the junta pushes toward Hteekhee, a KNU Brigade 4-controlled trade zone on the Thai border. The offensive is tied to the military's effort to secure land for the Russia-backed Dawei deep-sea port project.