The military council has stepped up inspections of houses hosting internally displaced persons (IDPs) from other towns and checks their phones in some neighborhoods of Taungoo, Taungoo District, Bago Region, according to residents.
Due to the ongoing unrest, many people from Thandaunggyi, Yedashe, Mone, Kyaukkyi and Shwegyin Townships have sought shelter in Wards 19, 20 and 23 in Taungoo, with some staying in religious compounds while others have rented houses.
Military council soldiers, police officers,100-household heads and ward administrators frequently inspect houses rented by displaced people at any hours of the night, checking their guest lists and phones, said a woman living in one of the wards.
“They mostly inspect houses hosting IDPs or houses rented by IDPs. They check the guest lists and check the phones thoroughly. Once, in a house rented by a group of displaced women, they asked if their husbands were members of the People’s Defense Forces (PDFs). They even come at 2 or 3am to check the guests unannounced,” the woman said.
Residents reported that junta soldiers and administrators also checked Wards 19 and 23, where most Karen people live, as well as IDPs staying at Paku religious compound.
Another Taungoo resident said he had seen frequent flights of military planes from Taungoo airbase and heard gunshots when military council soldiers noticed unusual sightings near military checkpoints in the town.
“I heard that they were checking Wards 23 and 20 near Sittaung Bridge. We also heard gunshots on 16 November after they allegedly spotted drones around 10 pm. We can see frequent take-offs and landings of military planes. Some say they are transporting patients,” he said.
The airbase in Taungoo has been carrying out frequent airstrikes in areas controlled by the Karen National Union (KNU) – Brigade 2 area of Taungoo District and Brigade 3 area of Nyaunglebin District – where fighting between local resistance forces and the Myanmar Army is taking place.
On 17 and 18 November, following an attack on the military council’s base at 4 Mile, several villagers were killed in air strikes in the vicinity of 4 Mile.
After the fighting, the military carried out strict security checks in and out of Taungoo, according to locals.
Sent by KIC.