YANGON, Myanmar — The Myanmar military’s systematic use of arson as a weapon of war has resulted in the destruction of nearly 5,000 civilian homes in just three months, according to the latest figures from monitoring group Data for Myanmar (D4M).
Between December 2025 and February 2026, a total of 4,748 homes were reduced to ashes. The regions of Mandalay, Magway, Sagaing, and Tanintharyi bore the brunt of the onslaught, as junta troops continue their “scorched earth” policy across the nation’s rural heartlands.
The raids have devastated 89 villages across six states and regions. The single most destructive incident occurred on December 22, 2025, in Myingyan Township’s Aing Ma village, where soldiers burned down over 500 houses in a single operation.
“In Sagaing, almost every village the army enters in resistance-held areas is set on fire,” a resistance fighter from Khin-U Township told MPA. “This hasn’t stopped since 2022. If they don’t burn the whole village, they at least loot the properties. It is a deliberate strategy to ensure the people suffer as much as possible.”
The surge in arson attacks coincides with the military’s attempts to secure territory for its proposed administrative transitions. In areas where the sham government hoped to hold local sessions, security forces have launched “clearance operations” to root out opposition forces.
However, in villages where the military felt unable to maintain control, troops—often accompanied by the Pyusawthii militia—have resorted to widespread burning and summary executions. D4M reports that these operations are frequently accompanied by the wholesale looting of valuables from fleeing residents.
The long-term impact of the military’s arson campaign is staggering. Data collected by D4M from the 2021 coup until February 2026 reveals that 125,328 civilian homes have been destroyed by fire nationwide. Of those, the military and its affiliated groups are responsible for the destruction of 121,485 houses—over 96% of the total loss.
As the conflict in Myanmar enters its sixth year, the displacement crisis continues to balloon. For the thousands of families whose homes now lie in ruins, the loss is not merely material; it is the erasure of entire communities and livelihoods.
While the international community has repeatedly condemned the military’s tactics as war crimes, the junta’s reliance on fire to suppress the population shows no sign of abating, leaving the rural population in a state of perpetual flight and fear.
