An interview with Ma Moe Aye from Shwebo about the current military situation in Shwebo District
Following the entry of military council forces into Shwebo, Ye-U, Khin-U, Taze and Depayin Townships in Shwebo District in Sagaing Regionk in February this year, the local defense forces also launched battles to capture the police station of Kan Htu Ma village in Taze, which has led to an increase in the number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
Shanni Voice conducted this interview with Ma Moe Aye, a resident of Shwebo, about the current military situation in Shwebo District.
Q: Please tell us about the ongoing offensives by the military council forces in Shwebo District.
A: In Shwebo, Ye-U, Khin-U, Taze and Depayin Townships, Light Infantry Battalion 708, Infantry Battalion 11, Shwebo-based Basic Military Training Corps 8 and joint forces of Pyu Saw Htee militia are currently conducting raids. The locals have fled because of the raids. If they don’t flee, the troops will shoot, rape or brutally murder them. That is why everyone fled after hearing their entry.
Q: Do you know the current number of IDPs in Shwebo District?
A: There were already over 20,000 IDPs. They have been displaced since the coup and have not returned. In 2024, when the junta forces attacked again in January, more than 20,000 had to flee. And after the battle to capture the police station in Kan Htu Ma village, more than 20,000 people had to flee from over 40 villages in Taze. So in Shwebo area alone, there are about 60,000 to 70,000 IDPs.
Q: What is the situation of the battle to capture the police station in Kan Htu Ma village?
A: The PDFs stormed the police station in Kan Htu Ma at around 2am on 21 February. There were about 50 policemen and Pyu Saw Htee members stationed. The resistance fighters managed to burn down the police station. The junta side used air strikes as they suffered casualties. We have heard that there were casualties but we have not been able to confirm them yet. The airstrike started around 4:30 am and lasted until the evening. They bombarded more than ten times with aircraft. After this battle, the column that attacked the villages on the Ye-U-Taze border arrived at the model village of Kan Htu Ma in the evening. The column of junta soldiers and Pyu Saw Htee members also arrived in the urban areas of Taze via Kanbalu.
Q: Since the displaced people in Shwebo station have been on the run for a long time, what is their situation in terms of food and shelter?
A: For us locals in Anya region (Central Dry Zone), the days we have fled are more than the days we stay in our homes. This has disrupted our work. After years of being on the run, it has become difficult to find food and shelter. Now it’s time to grow summer paddy, but we can’t yet. We are always worried about when the junta troops will come again. That’s why we can’t sleep well and it’s affecting our health. It is still cold in the Anya region because the winter is not over yet. The people taking shelter the jungle need blankets. They also need food. As they have never received any donations, they have to find food themselves.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to say about the situation of IDPs in Shwebo district?
A: People in this area are fleeing the war here. There are always IDPs here. Even if we are at home now, we have to be ready to flee at any time. And the brutal “ogre column” is conducting raids in this area, the locals are living in constant fear, day and night. This region will only regain peace when the troops of the military council forces leave. I would therefore like to call on the public to support the defense forces in the Anya region and the local population. We pray for the speedy downfall of the brutal military and the military dictatorship that is killing the civilian population so heartlessly.
Sent by Shanni Voice.