Various recent announcements by the military council about the People’s Military Service Law have caused fear among Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who have arrived in Taunggyi, Shan State.
A young Karenni man, who has been displaced in Taunggyi for about a year due to his mother’s health condition, said he does not know what to do next as various news about the mandatory conscription law has been circulating.
“After hearing all this news, I am very worried. I have been displaced for a long while now, but since I am not from here, I feel insecure. With my mother’s poor health, it is also difficult to move to another place,” said the displaced Karenni man.
In the first week of February, ward administrators issued temporary residence cards to IDPs arriving in Taunggyi, the youth added.
“They issued temporary residence cards this month. I just took them when they were given to me. But now, with the news about the conscription law and the guest list check, I wonder if they issued the cards to make it easier for them to check us,” he said.
Following the announcement of the conscription law on 10 February, authorities issued a notice asking people to present not only their copies of census and national registration cards when registering overnight guests in Taunggyi, but also portrait photos covering their entire body, residents said.
“As a young man, I have to be careful when I am out and about here. I feel a bit safer during the day, but at night I can’t sleep peacefully. I worry if they are coming to check the guest lists or if something might happen,” said an IDP from Karenni about the increasingly tightened situation.
Karenni IDPs in Taunggyi and on the Shan-Karenni border say they plan to return to their hometown, where things are a little more peaceful, but checks along the route are strict, making a return home impossible so far.
One displaced person said: “To return home from Taunggyi, we have to submit a letter of recommendation signed by the village or ward administrator to the military council, stating the exact address of the village or ward where we live in Karenn State. In this situation, it is not easy to get the recommendation letter. Life is difficult whether we stay or leave.”
Due to the ongoing military and political situation related to the conscription law, some IDPs in Taunggyi have taken the risk of returning to the Karenni side.
One IDP who returned to Karenni State said: “The checkpoints along the way are very strict. The moment they notice you are from Karenni, they say more abusive words and check even more strictly. They just didn’t hold us at gunpoint and beat us.”
Currently, most of the Karenni IDPs staying in Taunggyi are unable to return to their homes. They are also worried about continuing to stay.
IDPs from Karenni State have fled as far as the border areas between Shan and Karenni, including Hsihseng, Nyaungshwe, Pinlaung and Taunggyi Townships.
Sent by NMG