New Delhi, Oct. 13 -- Ten days after it was recaptured by Myanmar's military government, the town of Kyaukme stands eerily silent. Schools have reopened but the town's once-busy market is mostly empty. Vendors at some stalls closed them at the sight of visiting journalists, visibly nervous.

The once-thriving town in Myanmar's Shan State is in shambles, an Associated Press journalist confirmed on Friday in a rare visit to the war-torn area allowed by the country's military government.

The army allowed an AP photographer to join a trip organized by pro-military Myanmar media, the only representative of foreign media who was permitted to do so. The military doesn't allow a free press and bars journalists from entering conflict zones indepe...