Displaced locals in Ann Township, Arakan State, are facing challenges returning to their homes and resuming their livelihoods due to the large number of landmines laid by military junta troops, locals report.
Although the Arakha Army (AA) is clearing landmines in areas where fighting took place and around the town’s outskirts, the clearance process remains incomplete.
Displaced people from Ann Township fled with only the clothes on their backs. They report that returning to their villages is challenging because forests, hills, farmlands, and fields still contain leftover landmines and unexploded ordnance, which make it difficult to work and sustain themselves.
A displaced man from Ann Lone village said: “We can’t return home yet. Our villages were burned down. The farmlands are full of mines. There are also unexploded bombs in the fields. Ann has more mines than other areas. They haven’t been fully cleared yet.”
During the battle to capture Ann Township, crops such as rice paddies cultivated by locals went unharvested due to the fighting, leading to significant losses. Rebuilding upon return is challenging, according to a woman from Ann.
“During the fighting, we couldn’t harvest the rice and had to abandon it. So, the crops were ruined. If we return and try to start over, we’ll be starting from nothing. The belongings left at home, along with our cattle, are gone,” she said.
Due to the leftover landmines, the AA has not yet permitted Ann residents to return home, locals say.
Fields, forests, hills, and Cashew plantations near military junta bases in Ann still contain numerous landmines, according to reports.
Although the AA is clearing the landmines laid by the junta troops, the sheer volume of mines means the process is not yet complete, according to locals.
The Arakha Army seized the Western Command headquarters in Ann Township on 20 December 2024. By April 2025, approximately four months have passed since the capture.
Due to the conflict, many Ann residents have fled to mainland areas such as Pa Dan, Minbu, Magway, and Yangon, while others are sheltering in areas controlled by the AA, according to reports. Sent by Narinjara.
