Armed clashes broke out between military council forces and resistance forces near the villages on the border between Pekon and Pinlaung Townships in Shan State, causing around 3,000 local residents to flee to safety, according to the Karenni State IDP Assistance Network.
Since 7 March, fighting has taken place near the border villages between the advancing junta troops and resistance forces. The fighting forced not only the residents of Nam Hpar Mu, Naung Wow, and nearby villages but also displaced people already sheltering in the area to flee again, according to the IDP assistance network.
“The people displaced from Pekon are sheltering in the border area between Pinlaung and Pekon. There are around 2,000 to 3,000 people there. When the junta troops raided the area, the residents of the surrounding villages had to flee again. So, the number of IDPs there has increased to around 5,000 to 6,000,” said a member of the Karenni State IDP Assistance Network.
While some of the villagers and displaced civilians have fled to nearby towns such as Nyaungshwe and Taunggyi, others have sought shelter on the western part of Pekon Township, according to people assisting the IDPs.
Currently, IDPs in western Pekon are still in need of food supplies. With the influx of more IDPs, the need for food and shelter is also growing, said a member of the Karenni State IDP Assistance Network.
“They are facing all sorts of needs as usual as they suddenly had to flee from the advancing military council troops. They need things like food, clothes, and so on. They need things like that,” the member said.
In January, residents of Pekon town had to flee to surrounding villages after fighting erupted in the town.
Now fighting has broken out again in the area they fled to, forcing them to flee once more, according to those helping the IDPs.
They also said that some civilians remain trapped in Pekon Township because the junta has been using artillery shelling recently.
In February, there were two armed clashes between the junta forces and resistance forces in Pekon. The junta has continued to carry out artillery attacks deliberately targeting civilians, according to a 10 March statement from the Karenni Nationalities Defence Force (KNDF).
Sent by Kantarawaddy Times.