Displaced farmers from villages west of Za Yat Gyi town in Htan Ta Pin Township, Taungoo District, Bago Region, are facing difficulties harvesting their rice after the military junta blocked the road they use to reach their villages, according to local sources.
In August, clashes between the junta army and resistance forces in the area forced residents to flee to Za Yat Gyi town and nearby villages. The junta has since restricted travel on the main Za Yat Gyi-Kin Mun Chon road.
A local man said that farmers displaced from Kin Mun Chon, Bagan Kwe, and Dar Dauk villages cannot return home because of the junta’s road closures, although it is time to harvest the monsoon rice. This has made it difficult for the farmers to harvest their crops.
“We need to harvest the rice this week. The people from the east side of Kin Mun Chon have returned there. Most of the fields and paddy fields are on the western side. We can’t go back there yet; they won’t let us cross. Some people are trying to sneak through (without carrying anything),” he said.
He added that, in early September, some junta troops set up checkpoints and demanded hundreds of thousands of kyats in tolls from displaced farmers who want to return to harvest their rice.
Commenting on the difficulties in harvesting rice, one displaced local farmer said, “As farmers, if we can’t grow and harvest, where will we get food and how will we survive? We want peace quickly. I don’t know if we’ll even be able to harvest rice in Kin Mon Chon, Bagan Kwe, and Doe Tan this year.”
The recent heavy rains have caused the Sittaung River to overflow, leading to flooding in Htan Ta Pin town. Those who fled from villages west of Za Yat Gyi to Htan Ta Pin town are now facing not only conflict-related but also flood-related hardships.
Sent by KIC.
