The Myanmar army shelled the villages of Kanyindaing and Hngetpyawtaw on the west bank of the Sittaung River in Phyu Township, Bago Region, on the morning of 12 July, without any armed fighting.
As a result, more than 200 people have been forced to cross the river to Mone Township on the east bank, Mone residents reported.
The displaced people claimed that regime forces deliberately shelled the villages with artillery after moving in from the Thongwa area. The amount of damage to the villages from the artillery fire was not known.
“We could hear the sound of artillery shelling from Thonegwa. The shells hit near Kanyindaing and Hngetpyawtaw. We had to flee when it happened just in the morning, so we didn’t know how much damage was done to the village,” reported a displaced person.
A member of a Karen civil society group said most of the displaced were women and children, including elderly men.
Caption: Residents of Phyu Township flee to Mone Township on the east bank of the Sittaung River (Photo – CJ)
“The strong men have stayed behind to guard the estate. At the moment, we are the only group that went to see the displaced people as soon as we heard they were arriving. And we have arranged shelter for them. They haven’t reported if there are any sick people among them. We have over 200 people on our list, but there could be more,” said the member of the IDP relief group.
Also on 16 June, the Myanmar army indiscriminately fired heavy weapons from military vehicles at villages along the Sittaung River in Phyu and Mone Townships, seriously injuring a man and a woman, local media reported.
In addition, light and heavy weapons shelling by the army has displaced many residents amid ongoing fighting in Nyaunglebin District, including Mone Township. The number of displaced people in Nyaunglebin District has exceeded 150,000, according to Karen civil society organizations.
Sent by KIC.