The army has forced the vehicles loaded with the relief aid for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to transport soldiers to Moemauk Township in Kachin State, according to a local from Moemauk Township.

Now is the bean harvesting season. The army has forced vehicles loaded with beans and aid for IDPs, to stop and transport them to the places where they want to go.

The fighting between the army and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) is taking place in Moemauk Township. The KIA has warned the people not to cover the cargo trucks with sheets, and not to transport the army.

Lorries carrying humanitarian aid should not be used for transporting armed combatants, whether the army or any guerilla groups, as this violates the international rules of war.

As many IDPs in Kachin State have been victims of military operations and aerial attacks on their villages, seeing soldiers on board may cause confusion and panic inside IDP camps.

“We are concerned that our people will be in danger if the KIA carries out attacks. Currently, the fighting between the army and the KIA continues. The people from the villages close to the fighting have fled to the villages in Moemauk Township, said a local from Moemauk.

Organizations are stepping up their work for the IDPs as the number of IDPs is rising, and the rainy season is approaching. More donors are needed.

Since the Feb 1 coup, the fighting between the army and the KIA has erupted in most parts of Kachin State. The number of IDPs is increasing day by day.