The military council evicted the people from Phayonechaung and Ngapyawchaung villages in Buthidaung Township of Arakan State after six soldiers ran away.
A villager said: “I have heard the news that around six soldiers ran away. It has nothing to do with our villagers. However, soldiers told us to leave the village for around one week as the captains and special forces will arrive here. We leave the village as we are fearful. It has been around 10 days since we left the village. However, we are not allowed to reenter the village.”
There are around 20 houses and over 80 populations in Phayonechaung village and 23 houses and around 100 populations in Ngapyawchaung village. On 26 April, they fled the village.
After a ceasefire between the military council and the Arakan Army (AA) in November, 2022, the military council’s division-22 has been stationed on the mountains near two villages.
Locals said they don’t understand why the army forced the people from nearby villages to move to other places following the defection of six soldiers.
A local from Phayonechaung village who said on condition of anonymity said: “They (army) asked where we took shelter in the past and told us to return to the former place.”
At present, the people from Phayonechaung and Ngapyawchaung villages said they face difficulties as they have to stay in the villages where their relatives are residing.
A local from Ngapyawchaung village said: “Villagers face difficulties in employment and livelihood. Villagers can earn their living only in their villages although our village is small. We have to rely on our relatives as we have to stay in the villages of relatives. All villagers feel depressed. The public has no desire to live together with any armed organizations.”
The people from two villages fled their villages due to the renewed fighting between the military council and the AA. They returned to their villages when both sides made a ceasefire. Now the military council forced them to flee the villages.
When the Narinjara phoned Colonel Kyaw Thura, Arakan State Minister for Security and Border Affairs to seek comment about it, no reply was received.
On November 26, 2022, the military council and the AA made a ceasefire on the humanitarian ground in Arakan State.
The military council forcibly has repatriated most of the IDPs in Arakan State since the first week of March citing peace is restored following the ceasefire.
Sent by Htay Htay Aung (Narinjara)