Locals in Kyaikmaraw Township in Mon State are still unable to return to their homes even after two months after being displaced, according to reports.
Military tensions between the Myanmar Army and combined resistance forces in Kyaikmaraw Township remain high. In addition, junta troops are stationed in the areas around Chaung Hnit Khwa village, preventing residents from returning to their homes.
A resident from Mei Ta Yo village in Kyaikmaraw Township said: “We don’t dare to go back to our homes yet because there are soldiers in the village. Even if we go back, they only let us stay in the house; they don’t let us go out. At home, they (the junta soldiers) have dug many trenches and bunkers. It’s not safe to go back home”
On 11 November last year, combined forces of the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) raided the Chaung Hnit Khwa police station and the bridge checkpoint, leading to clashes between the two sides. As a result, tens of thousands of residents of Chaung Hnit Khwa and nearby villages were forced to flee to safety.
Currently, most of the displaced people are taking shelters in camps set up in nearby monasteries, while some are living with relatives and friends.
The displaced people say they need food, medicine, and medical care as the displacement is taking longer and longer.
“We are staying with our relatives, so we don’t have to pay rent. But because commodity prices are so high, we are struggling. It has been almost two months now. I don’t know when we will be able to go back home. We can only make ends meet with loans. We have to pay them back if we find work when we go back home,” said a local resident of Taung Ka Lay village.
Locals also fear that clashes could intensify again as Myanmar Army troops continue to increase their strength in Kyaikmaraw Township.
According to people helping Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), fighting in Chaung Hnit Khwa village in Kyaikmaraw Township has displaced more than 20,000 people from nearly 20 villages including Chaung Hnit Khwa, Taung Ka Lay, Mei Ta Yo, Hla Ka Zaing, and Kawt Pa Naw.
Sent by IMNA