More than 2,000 displaced civilians from Min Saw (Gaw Phoe Pale) and Ta Gay Laung (Htee Chi Baw) villages in Bilin Township, Thaton District—both hit by airstrikes—remain unable to return home due to ongoing aerial threats, according to the Karen National Union (KNU) Brigade 1.
On 19 April, the military council launched an airstrike on the monastery in Min Saw Village, Bilin Township. Since then, continued aerial threats have prevented 2,222 people from 701 households across two villages from returning home, according to aid workers in Bilin.
A woman assisting the displaced people said, “People are too afraid to sleep at night. They’ve been hiding in the fields and forests. Although they return during the day, it’s only for a short time — they’re too afraid of the aircraft to stay for long. The planes have continued flying overhead even to this day. Ta Gay Laung is a neighboring village of Min Saw, and ever since the incident there, people have heard the news and no longer feel safe living in their village.”
The airstrike on Min Saw Village occurred while monks were having their alms meal, killing and injuring local residents who had gathered at the monastery to offer food. Since then, villagers have been sleeping outside the village, and even those who have returned remain on high alert due to the continued presence of military council aircraft, according to officials from KNU Brigade 1.
Most rely entirely on upland and paddy farming for their livelihoods and currently have no safe opportunity to live or work in their own villages.
This situation could lead to long-term challenges in meeting basic needs, according to the woman providing assistance to the displaced people.
When aircraft fly overhead, we can’t work properly. As soon as we hear the sound, we have to run and take cover. Right now, we’re surviving on whatever little we have. In the long run, they will face even greater hardship. Their most urgent needs are basic food supplies—rice and cooking oil,” said the woman assisting the internally displaced people (IDPs).
Ta Gay Laung village, which is home to part of the displaced population, was hit by a second airstrike from the military council in mid-January this year. During the attack, bombs struck the outskirts of the village and a school, leaving residents in a state of fear and anxiety.
This April, the military council has escalated airstrikes on KNU-controlled areas, resulting in widespread civilian casualties.
According to the Committee for Internally Displaced Karen People (CIDKP), as of March 2025, more than 1.1 million people have been internally displaced across the seven districts under KNU control, including over 140,000 in Thaton District alone.
Sent by KIC
