Myanmar villagers say army troops burned 400 houses

Residents of two villages in northwestern Myanmar said government soldiers burned down hundreds of houses this week, apparently while searching for members of an armed militia opposed to military rule.

The attack on Monday in northwestern Sagaing region, also reported by independent Myanmar media, came on the eve of the anniversary of the Feb. 1 army takeover that ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, and underlined the fierce struggle for power.

The takeover triggered mass nonviolent protests nationwide, but when the military and police responded with deadly force, armed resistance arose in the cities and the countryside. Armed struggle has been especially active in the northwest, including Sagaing region and Chin state, despite the military's overwhelming superiority.

Charred houses sit in ash between the trees in Mwe Tone village of Pale township in the Sagaing region, Myanmar on Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022. Mwe Tone was one of two villages residents and Myanmar news outlets said were burned down Monday, Jan. 31, 2022, by soldiers they believe were looking for members of an armed militia opposed to the military government that seized power in February last year. (AP Photo)

Residents of Mwe Tone village said on Thursday that 200 of 250 homes there were razed by fire, together with nearly 200 of the 800 houses in nearby Pan village. Similar numbers were reported by Myanmar media.

“As a farmer, I saved money for 15 years to build a house, and all that was left of my house was ashes. Not only my house but the whole village was turned into ash," said a 29-year-old Mwe Tone villager, speaking on condition of anonymity because he feared reprisal from authorities. "Now, we have nothing to eat or live with.”

Photos showed water pumps, tractors and vehicles destroyed by the blaze, with farm animals also falling victims.

CORRECTS VILLAGE TO MWE TONE, MYANMAR FROM PAN MYANMAR - In this satellite photo provided by Planet Labs PBC, the village of Mwe Tone, Myanmar, is seen Jan. 31, 2022. The village reportedly saw some 200 homes razed around the one-year anniversary of the army's seizure of power in Myanmar, as protests and sporadic violence across the country renewed concern over the ongoing struggle for power. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

Myanmar’s army has a reputation for using arson as one of its tactics in counterinsurgency operations. Troops are believed to have burned down as many as 200 villages in a brutal 2017 campaign in western Rakhine state that drove more than 700,000 Muslim Rohingya villagers to seek safety across the border in Bangladesh.

The army has been accused of crimes against humanity and genocide for its actions against the Rohingya, which also included the killings and rapes of civilians. In their current campaign against opponents of military rule, they have again been accused of razing homes and carrying out massacres of civilians.

The government’s tactics have also caused a huge humanitarian crisis, with upwards of 300,000 people nationwide displaced from their homes, and the conflict often preventing assistance from reaching them.

CORRECTS VILLAGE TO MWE TONE, MYANMAR FROM PAN MYANMAR In this satellite photo provided by Planet Labs PBC, the village of Mwe Tone, Myanmar, is seen Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022, after homes were razed. The village reportedly saw some 200 homes razed around the one-year anniversary of the army's seizure of power in Myanmar, as protests and sporadic violence across the country renewed concern over the ongoing struggle for power. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

Both armed and nonviolent resistance to last year’s army takeover has prevented the military from consolidating its rule, with some experts saying the country has slipped into a civil war. The resistance generally employs hit-and-run guerrilla tactics, to which the army often responds with brute force.

A villager from Pan, who also spoke on condition of anonymity because of fear of retaliation, said he believed the troops had been searching for members of a local militia that had been established to protect against government attacks.

He said, however, that there had been no clashes in the immediate area that might have triggered Monday’s military action. In previous similar incidents elsewhere, government soldiers acted in apparent retaliation for attacks by resistance forces.

A Mwe Tone resident said that she and seven neighbors who were unable to flee before the soldiers took over were captured, with several beaten and abused.

The 45-year-old woman told The Associated Press by phone that the soldiers told them that Mwe Tone is known for supporting members of the People’s Defense Force — armed resistance groups also known by their acronym — and the village would be torched that night.

She quoted a soldier as saying, “We will torch the village as PDF members are living here and receiving support. You’ll have to rebuild your house with reinforced concrete, so your house never again is easily burned by fire.” She said the soldiers reeked of alcohol.

Two of the Mwe Tone residents said the troops also engaged in looting, including stealing a 200-year-old, 6-inch (15-centimeter) -tall gold Buddha image with an embedded ruby from the village monastery.

The government has not issued any reports about the incident.

However, the state-run Myanma Alinn Daily newspaper claimed that 200 houses of Ma Htee village, about 15 kilometers (9 miles) west of Mwe Tone and Pan villages, were burned by members of a resistance defense force during fighting with army troops on Sunday. Satellite images from the company Planet Labs showed about a third of the village had been damaged sometime around that time.

The Mwe Tone villagers said helicopters came to pick up the soldiers early on Tuesday morning but residents of both villages were still fearful about their returning. An estimated 10,000 people from several villages in the area remained in hiding in the jungle, they said.

“I want to say to international governments that if you are still standing and looking without taking any action against the military, Myanmar will soon be reduced to ashes,” said the villager from Pan. “The people have nowhere to run and the army is killing everyone.”

Allergy season can bring misery to tens of millions of Americans each year.

Tree, grass, and other pollens can cause runny noses, itchy eyes, coughing and sneezing.

Where you live and what you're allergic to can make a big difference in how bad your allergies are, but there are many things you can do to feel better.

Here are some tips from experts to keep allergies at bay — maybe even enough to allow you to enjoy the outdoors.

There are three main types of pollen. Earlier in the spring, tree pollen is the main culprit. After that grasses pollinate, followed by weeds in the late summer and early fall.

Some of the most common tree pollens that cause allergies include birch, cedar, cottonwood, maple, elm, oak and walnut, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Grasses that cause symptoms include Bermuda, Johnson, rye and Kentucky bluegrass.

The best and first step to controlling allergies is avoiding exposure. That’s easier said than done when it's nice out.

Start with keeping your windows closed at home and in the car, avoiding going out when pollen counts are highest and changing clothes when you get home. The same masks that got us through the pandemic can protect you from allergies — though they won't help with eye symptoms.

Pollen trackers can help with planning. The American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology tracks levels through a network of counting stations across the U.S. Counts are available at its website and via email.

You can't fight an enemy you don't know.

Since many Americans are allergic to several things at once, the first thing to figure out is what specifically you’re allergic to, said Dr. Nana Mireku, an allergist in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Over-the-counter nasal sprays can help relieve symptoms, but they take a while to kick in, so it’s best to start them in early in the season, said Dr. Rachna Shah, an allergist and director of the Loyola Medicine Allergy Count.

Antihistamines are another option. Shah said she’s seen some patients benefit from switching to a similar brand if one stops working, but said that there isn’t much broader data to back the recommendation.

For young children and people who have to take many different allergy medications, immunotherapies in the form of shots and oral drops can help desensitize the immune system to allergens, treating symptoms at their root.

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America issues an annual ranking of the most challenging cities to live in if you have allergies, based on over-the-counter medicine use, pollen counts and the number of available allergy specialists. This year, the top five were Wichita, Kansas; Virginia Beach, Virginia; Greenville, South Carolina; Dallas; and Oklahoma City.

If you've been thinking it started earlier and seems longer this year, you're on to something.

Shah usually starts looking at pollen counts in the Chicago area in April. But this year, she peeked at her data in mid-February, and tree pollen was already at a “moderate” level.

“This season has been so nuts,” she said. “Granted, it was a pretty mild winter, but I didn’t expect it to be so early.”

Shah said she believes this season will be longer than other years, assuming the weather remains warm.

Experts say climate change has led to longer and more intense allergy seasons.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

FILE - Tree pollen pods lay in a pile at a park in the Dallas suburb of Richardson, Texas, Thursday, March 21, 2024. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America issues an annual ranking of the most challenging cities to live in if you have allergies, based on over-the-counter medicine use, pollen counts and the number of available allergy specialists. In 2024, the top five were Wichita, Kansas; Virginia Beach, Virginia; Greenville, South Carolina; Dallas; and Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)

FILE - An oak tree with new leaf growth also shows pollen and a drop of water hanging among the branches at a park in Richardson, Texas, Thursday, March 21, 2024. There are three main types of pollen. Earlier in the spring, tree pollen is the main culprit. After that grasses pollinate, followed by weeds in the late summer and early fall. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)