An interview with Naw Aye Than, 70, from Yathaegu village.
February 18th, 2022
The Karen Information Center (KIC) interviewed Naw Aye Than, 70, who fled her village along with her nine family members due to the fighting which erupted in Lay Kay Kaw and nearby areas in late December about her experience.
Q: How do you pass your daily life as an IDP here?
A: I have been here for around one month. I have to sleep at the suitable places. We are lucky that there is no rain. But I cannot sleep well at night due to the rains. The floors are wet when there are heavy rains. I am ok if I have a place to sit in.
Q: What will happen if this situation continues?
A: I cannot stay here any longer if it continues. I want to go back to my home. How will I be happy? I have to stay here as I have no other choice. However, I don’t dare to go back my home as other people don’t return to their homes. I am sympathetic towards my children and grandchildren. I have diabetes. Now, medicine has ran out. I cannot find medicine here. I can do nothing when the diabetics gets worse. I have hypertension as well. Female doctors here try to get medicine for me. Medicine is available in Phop Phra. I don’t know how to go to Phop Phra.
Q: What is the biggest difficulty for you as you have been staying here for many days?
A: I cannot say exactly what is the biggest difficulty. I thank those who donate food here. There are thousands of IDPs here. They feed us well. But they cannot find medicine for me. I have no money. I cannot even plug corn. I cannot buy food as I have no money. I cannot sleep well at night.
Q: How many times did you flee your village as fighting is taking place in Yathaegu village so far?
A: Since my childhood, I fled Falukya. At that time, I was 16. I returned to the village when the situation was stable. I had to flee again due to the renewed fighting. I had to flee the village in 2010. I have to spend most of my life as a refugee. I grew up amid fighting and the sounds of gunfire. However, I had a stable life only at the age of 40s. I no longer dared to stay there due to airstrikes. The weapons fired by the military are very big. I cannot run alone. Others always helped me run. I could not bring along my cloth, mosquito net and blanket.
Q: What do you desire most in life?
A: I want to live peacefully at home. I don’t want fighting any more. I want peace. I want to live with my children and grandchildren collectively.
Q: What is your main income-generating job in your village?
A: I mainly grow paddy and corn. I can do nothing. I have not even plucked corn. Some men returned to the village as the corn buyers may come to the village. The Myanmar military has blocked the village. They can do nothing. Harvested corn may be damaged due to rains. This time, we are in trouble.
Q: As a last question, what is your demand for escaping from the IDP life?
A: I don’t want fighting. I don’t dare to say anything as they are armed groups. I don’t know whether or not they like what I said. I think they have no desire to fight. Both sides may suffer casualties in the fighting. They have to fight inevitably. I don’t want my grandchildren to experience such a situation. I want them to pursue their education peacefully. My grandchildren cannot even read very well as they have to flee. They don’t want to attend the school as they become older.
Now my grandchildren are seven and eight years old. They have not attended the classes yet. There was the spread of coronavirus when they reached school-age. Now the fighting is taking place. Like their parents, they cannot read even a letter. They are like sitting ducks as they are illiterate. I don’t want my grandchildren to experience such a situation. I want my grandchildren to be literate. They don’t know anything if they experience the situation like their parents.
Sent by the KIC.
