About 3,000 people, mainly ethnic Asho Chin people displaced from about 13 villages, near Ngape and Padan towns in Ngape Township, Magway Region urgently need assistance.
The villages are all near to Ngape and Padan towns in Ngape Township, on the highway that runs from Padan Town in Magway Region to Ann Town in Arakan (Rakhine) State. They are also close to the junta’s Natyaekan operations command in Ngape Township.
Some of the villagers fled at the end of 2024, others at the beginning of 2025. They are sheltering in the forest close to their villages and near to water sources.
They were displaced by junta artillery fire and airstrikes that started on 20 February 2024 after defence forces launched an offensive against the Natyaekan base on 18 February 2024.
Prior to that, in January 2024, junta soldiers had also entered some of the villages and arrested parents, accusing their children of being resistance fighters. They also detained other locals for allegedly supporting resistance groups. This frightened many villagers and caused more of them to flee.
A source close to the displaced said: “The displaced villages are all located along the highway. This year, locals of Linte and its surrounding villages were also displaced. The junta carried out three airstrikes on these villages this year, and there is constant risk of ground troops entering at any time. That’s why the locals have decided to evacuate. Also, pro-resistance informants within the junta's ranks have shared intelligence suggesting that the junta is planning to bomb nearby villages from the air to prevent its [Natyaekan] tactical operations command west of Ngape Town from falling. Because of these reports, the locals no longer feel safe staying in their villages and are fleeing to the forests, where they can access natural water sources.”
The approximately 3,000 displaced people are in need of humanitarian assistance. Amongst them are people aged over 90 years, infants and school age children. They are suffering from a shortage of medicine and basic supplies because the junta has blockaded transport routes in the area.
An aid worker helping the displaced people said to Khonumthung News: “The displaced people have sought shelter in the forests, where they can access drinking water and live in makeshift tents, creating a situation much like that of refugee camps. Their conditions are really tough. To make matters worse, the junta has restricted transportation routes in the region, leading to a shortage of basic supplies and a severe lack of medicine.”
He added that good collaboration between civil society and humanitarian organisations will be essential to assist the displaced.
