Out of more than 1,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), over 900 will return home after taking shelter in Kyaukme to escape from the fighting in the northern Shan State.
“Residents of two villages – Kyauk Hpyu Lay and Ah Pyaung – will return since the situation is improved. There are around 600 people [from the two villages]. There is [an IDP] camp in Mongngawt. Around 300 people returned home today. Residents of Kai Tai (Kyat Tay) will be left behind,” said U Saw Hlaing, administrator of Kyauk Hpyu Lay Village Group.
Sai Than Maung, central committee member of Kyaukme Township Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), said the IDPs have returned back home after fighting stopped in their areas.
“They said they will go back within three days. They want to go back to their homes and villages since there are no more fighting. They feel sorry to leave their villages behind since the entire villages had to flee. They miss their homes. Burglars have entered their homes. That’s why everyone will leave. There are around four IDP camps,” he said.
The IDPs will start going back home on January 25 but around 400 IDPs from Kai Tai (Kyat Tay) Village have decided to stay due to lack of stability near their village.
Fighting broke out between the Tatmadaw, the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army - South (RCSS/SSA-S), and the Palaung State Liberation Front/Ta’ang National Liberation Army (PSLF/TNLA) in Kai Tai (Kyat Tay), Kyauk Hpyu Lay, and Ah Pyaung villages and Mongngawt area since the last week of December, 2017.
U Saw Hlaing explained that the IDPs from Kyauk Hpyu Lay and Ah Pyaung villages and Mongngawt IDP Camp made the decision on their own to return home after the situation has become stable in the region.
Social assistance groups and the township administrative group from Kyaukme have arranged vehicles to take the IDPs home, according to the IDPs.
The IDPs are residents of Kyauk Hpyu Lay, Ah Pyaung, Hin Kyai, and Kyat Tay villages from Kyaukme Township and the border of Namhsan Township in the Palaung Self-Administered Zone.
Sai Than Maung said the local residents are still feeling concerned over landmines, which have been planted by armed groups near their villages, after two local residents died from a landmine blast last week. Clashes have also been breaking out sporadically in their areas.
“If possible, we don’t want them to fight in the civil war. We don’t want ethnic armed groups to fight each other while we are building trust. When the armed groups fight each other, they shouldn’t bombard the villages. The villagers cry and grumble due to bombardment,” he added.
The IDPs started arriving in Kyaukme since December 28 and took refuge at the monasteries in the town. Local residents and social assistance groups provided food and assistance to the IDPs.
