IDPs have reported that internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Pekon Township and Pinlaung Township, located on the Shan-Kayah border, are currently suffering from military airstrikes and are in urgent need of assistance.
Since February, over 1,000 individuals from approximately 11 villages in Pekon Township and Pinlaung Township have been forced to flee to the forests and mountains as a result of multiple airstrikes that have targeted villages in the Shan-Kayah border region.
An IDP woman at the Pekon-Pinlaung border reported , “ "The increased frequency of airstrikes has greatly heightened our security concerns. Some homes were bombed, and as a result, many families have fled into the forest. Some of them are with children, so it is not convenient to stay. In the forest, we were afraid of snakes and scorpions. It's more difficult when they bomb by plane at 3 or 4 in the morning," said
The conflict between the Junta troops and the PDF joint forces in the Pekon-Pinlaung border area continues to be intense. The Military Council also conducts frequent aerial bombardments, and so the IDPs cannot return to their homes, and are forced to seek refuge in the forests and mountains.
PKPF records show that the Military Council conducted 2 airstrikes in 2020, 182 airstrikes in 2021, and 179 airstrikes in the first four months of 2023, in the affected areas.
According to reports, due to the ongoing heavy fighting in the Pekon and Pinlaung border areas, IDPs who are fleeing in the forests and mountains are not receiving any aid from donors.
The Shan-Kayah border area is currently experiencing intense fighting, and as a result, checkpoints under the Military Council have increased their inspections of food and medicine transportation, while phone lines have been cut off in some areas. The IDPs have reported that the Military Council seems to be implementing a "four cuts" strategy against them.
"Where we are living, it feels like we are being subjected to a 'four cuts' strategy, as all the roads leading to our village have been closed off. This has made it difficult for aid organizations to access the area, resulting in limited donor support. While there is now an abundance of vegetables in our village, the situation remains dire. Even though the crops are within reach, we are unable to harvest them. So, we are eating only chickpeas," the IDP woman added.
Following an airstrike by a fighter jet belonging to the Military Council on April 25, which targeted the Hsaung Phway Hospital building used by IDPs in Pekon Township, medical treatment is insufficient, as reported by a nurse in charge of the hospital.
"People have gone to different places. Some of them have nowhere else to go, So they are returning to that place. Moreover, the destruction of the hospital has left many scared to stay there. With limited resources, we do our best to provide the necessary medical attention and care," explained the nurse in charge.
The Progressive Karenni People Force (PKPF) has released a report stating that over the past 26 months, 452 civilians have lost their lives in Pinlaung, Pekon, and Mobye townships. These areas, located along the Shan-Kayah border region, have been subject to intense military suppression of armed resistance following the military coup.
According to the PKPF's announcement, the civilian deaths were a result of the Military Council's use of artillery shells and airstrikes in the affected areas.
