Resistance groups have advised locals not to return home yet as the situation remains worrying due to almost daily armed clashes in the urban areas of Pekon in southern Shan State.
A spokesman for the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF) said that security had been put above other matters and that the population had been informed of the still unsafe situation and asked not to return to the town yet.
“They can’t return to the town under these circumstances. The situation is still unsafe for the people because the military council is continuing its attacks. Therefore, it is not safe for people to go in or out of the town,” said a KNDF spokesperson.
Although the clashes are not very intense at the moment, armed clashes between the two sides occur daily. According to the resistance forces, the military council side has not only shelled but also dropped bombs from drones whenever they detected movement in the area.
A person close to the locals in Pekon said: “I can’t say for sure, but those I am in contact with say they have not yet returned. They say it is not yet safe for them to return. There are no more clashes, but the situation is still worrying, so they have not been able to return yet.”
According to the resistance forces, residents of Pekon are still displaced due to the ongoing armed clashes, while the locals are taking shelter in some villages in Pekon Township.
The fighting between the resistance forces and the military junta forces in the urban areas of Pekon began on 7 January. Due to the fighting, residents had to flee to nearby townships and into the jungle.
Sent by Kantarawaddy Times.