An interview with an IDP aid group member in Kyaukme Township, northern Shan State
September 1st, 2022
It has been almost a year since the displaced people from Hu Suan village tract in Kyaukme Township, northern Shan State fled their homes and are unable to return to their homes due to the ethnic armed groups allegedly conducting demining operations in the area. A member of an IDP aid group in the township was interviewed about the situation.
Q: Currently, villages in Hu Suan village tract in Kyaukme Township in northern Shan State are devastated and abandoned, but no fighting is taking place there. Why haven’t the residents returned home yet?
A: How should I put it? This is a mess caused by the ethnic armed organizations such as Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), Shan State Progressive Party (SSPP) and Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA). Armed clashes between these groups have displaced people. The RCSS was recently forced to withdraw. But villagers still cannot return to their homes. This is because they still don’t feel safe there. This situation has left their villages in a state of devastation.
Q: What about the current situation? Is the fighting still going on?
A: There’s been no fighting for some time. But the villagers don’t dare to go back because the armed groups remain in the area.
Q: There are notes on the houses saying that they aren’t allowed to speak the Shan language, but another ethnic language. We came across something like that. What village is it about?
A: I’ve never seen it myself. I haven’t noticed anything like a restriction on language learning, but I’ve only heard others talk about it. I haven’t seen it myself.
Q: Where are these locals now?
A: They’re currently living in the IDP camps in Kyaukme and in the Shan Literature and Culture Association building. Some of them are living in rented houses and others have found shelter around Taunggyi Township.
Q: How long has it been since they left their villages?
A: It’s been almost a year now. They fled their villages in November last year [2021]. So it’s been more than ten months, to be exact.
Q: What’re the current living conditions of the displaced people?
A: Those living in the Shan Literature and Culture Association mainly receive aid from the World Food Program (WFP) and Save the Children. These organizations even pay the rent for the people living in rented houses in the inner town. But we don’t know what the situation is of those who’ve sought shelter in the Taunggyi area. We’ve no contact with them.
Q: There’s no more fighting in the area, but why haven’t the IDPs returned to their homes?
A: Honestly, this is mainly because they don’t feel safe because RCSS members are still present in the Hu Suan area and they’re afraid that other groups may enter the area again. Therefore, they don’t dare to return to their homes. On the one hand, the SSPP and the TNLA say that the area is still being de-mined by them. For alleged reasons, the armed ethnic groups haven’t allowed the displaced to return to their homes.
Q: So, is it the SSPP and TNLA that aren’t allowing the displaced to return to their homes?
A: On one side, SSPP and TNLA say they’re holding talks on the return of the IDPs. But the other side says that people aren’t allowed to return because demining is still ongoing.
Q: We heard that those who want to return to Hu Suan village aren’t allowed to speak the Shan language, but any other ethnic language. Is that true?
A: We haven’t heard anything about that either. I think that’s just hearsay, that you’ve to speak a different language when you return to your own community. How shoud I say? That can be a threat, although I haven’t seen anything like that myself.
Q: How many displaced people are there in the Shan Literature and Culture Association in Kyaukme at present?
A: In terms of households, there are about 54 households. There are 185 people in total, young and old.
Q: Is there any arrangement for their return?
A: They want to return to their homes. But as I said, the demining hasn’t finished yet. Three or four months ago, some of them tried to return to their villages, but it wasn’t possible because of the demining. The two armed groups are working on these activities. That’s the reason they’ve given.
Q: What’s the current situation of the IDPs in the camps?
A: They cannot go home yet. They’ve tried, but they haven’t been able to. As I said, they’re eager to go back to their own villages. They just can’t go home yet and that’s their situation. The military situation in the region is relatively quiet, even in the mountainous areas. There’s no fighting, but they still don’t dare to go home.
Q: Which armed groups are currently active near Hu Suan village?
A: The TNLA and the SSPP are present there most of the time.
Q: Have any of these armed groups asked the villagers to go home?
A: The SSPP members used to visit the IDPS camps. We’ve to report to them regularly about the situation. But they haven’t responded differently so far. They came to collect the names of those who wanted to return and asked them if they wanted to go home. But we haven’t received any answer from them yet.
Q: What else would you like to add?
A: Once the situation returns to normal, I’d like to call on all groups to help the IDPs return to their homes.
Sent by The Shan Herald