Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have expressed concern over the junta’s airstrikes, as the junta has been consistently flying drones and reconnaissance aircraft over IDP camps near the Thai-Karenni (Kayah) border since 7 October.
Khu Ko Reh, Coordinator of the Karenni Civil Society Network (KCSN), stated: “There is no place left for them to escape to. They can’t cross into Thailand either. Even if they manage to get into Thailand, they are only allowed to stay for about a week. In this situation, they have no choice but to rely on their luck and try to survive. “On one hand, they are concerned; on the other, they have no option.”
Since the first week of November, the military council has been conducting nighttime reconnaissance using aircraft and drones over the Dawnoeku IDP camp on the Thai-Karenni border, according to IDPs.
A displaced woman living at the No. 1 IDP camp on the Thai-Karenni border said, “In the past, I only heard the sound of aircraft for one or two days. Now, some IDPs are planning to return home because they are worried. The number of IDPs has increased.”
The displaced woman continued, “Currently, those from the Dawnoeku IDP camp have fled to safer areas. The number of IDPs continues to rise as new arrivals keep coming.”
There are approximately 3,000 people living in the Dawnoeku IDP camp on the Thai-Karenni border.
The IDPs are increasingly worried as there is no guarantee of security, given that the Dawnoeku IDP camp is within range of both the junta’s air strikes and heavy shelling.
After the military council conducted flights over the Dawnoeku IDP camp with reconnaissance aircraft and fighter jets, they bombed the camp at dawn on 12 July 2023.
As a result of the attack, which caused casualties, the IDPs were forced to cross into the Thai side three times for safety.
According to the Karenni Humanitarian Aid Initiative (KHAI), as of November 10, nearly 10,000 people are being hosted in 18 IDP camps in Shadaw and Mese Townships, near the Thai-Karenni border.
Sent by NMG