Fighting between the Arakan Army (AA) and the military junta troops is inching closer to Thandwe, a district town in southern Arakan State, prompting a third of the town’s residents to flee for safety, according to locals.
“The fighting is getting closer to the town day by day. The closer they get, the more worried the residents are and they are starting to flee. There has been an increase in the number of people leaving the town in recent days,” said a local resident.
While those with financial means are fleeing as far as Yangon by air, those without are seeking refuge in the villages south of Thandwe Township, said a local woman who wished to remain anonymous.
“Those who have money even fly to Yangon. But those who don’t have money just flee to the villages in the southern part of the township and move from one place to another. The truth is that nowhere is safe. Besides, Thandwe is quite small. So if fighting breaks out, it will affect the whole area,” she said.
Currently, the AA and junta troops are fighting 15, 10 and 5 miles away from Thandwe, and the fighting is getting closer to the town, according to locals.
People are fleeing to villages such as Za Lun, Hmyar Chaung, Kyauk Gyi, Kyar Nyo, Kha Yae Tan and Thit Ngoke To along the Thandwe-Gwa road south of Thandwe, as well as villages in Kyein Ta Li and Gwa Townships, said a driver who was transporting some displaced people.
“The fighting has moved very close to the town. The junta only has positions around Hmyon Pyin village at the southern exit towards Toungup. And on the other side, they are only around the village of Kin Maw. So in the northern part of Thandwe, both sides are preparing for fighting. And with the sea to the east and west and the mountains, people are just fleeing south,” said a local woman who has been displaced by the conflict.
Thandwe is normally a bustling district town known for its famous Ngapali beach and hotel and tourism businesses. According to locals, the current conflict has left only about a third of the population living in the town.
As displaced people have moved to villages to the south of Thandwe town, rental prices, which used to be around 50,000 kyat per month, have now skyrocketed to 100,000 kyat, according to locals.
The Arakan Army (AA) and junta forces continue to engage in skirmishes in Thandwe Township, displacing residents while the junta conducts military security checks.
Sent by Narinjara News