As displaced people fleeing from the war from the villages next to the Gyaing River, they said that whether it were the military army or revolutionary groups present in their community, their behavior and communication have created more fear than safety towards the locals.
A social rescue worker from (In Mon: Kyaikmarauh) Kyaikmaraw Township said that the army is stationed in more than 10 villages from Kawbein to Kawsak, and some revolutionary organizations are active in the Mon villages around Kaw gu.
He said, “Many villages are now occupied by the military. Mainly, their behavior and communication make the locals more afraid. In the village where the army did not go, the revolutionary forces forced their way into the houses. That’s why some don’t want to come back to the village. Some people moved to the city because they don’t want to live in the village anymore. Some moved to Thailand with their families”.
Although the state government is urging the people fleeing the war to return to their homes, the sound of gunfire and the sounds of bombs are heard almost every day in the villages. He added that if the army does not think that the shootings are still going on, they are acting arbitrarily, and the locals are afraid to return to their communities.
A resident of Dhammasa, whose house was burned, said, “As refugees like us who fled from the fire, there will be no place to stay again if we return to the village.”
In addition to shopping, it is also inconvenient for businesses to run. The local people who fled their homes and fled the war said that there is currently a lot of looting going on, and that there is no longer a safe situation, so they may face more difficulties in making a living.
Since last February, the armed conflict in the Mon region has intensified, and as a result, on 24th of March, about 20 Mon villages in the Gyaing River region have been severely affected by the war. According to the local residents, this war disaster is the most severe war disaster experienced in the Mon region.
As a result of the war, 416 houses in the villages around the Gyaing River area were destroyed by fire. It is reported that about 50 000 people were affected by the war and people from 11 villages along the Gyaing River, where the battle took place, had to leave their homes and many of them has become war refugees.
