The Hnitkayin villagers of Ye Township were forced to leave their homes in the face of relentless conflict between the coup Military Council and the combined resistance coalition of the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and the People's Defense Force (PDF). Many moths since they fled, still these displaced villagers have not been able to return to their homes.
On June 25th, KNLA and PDF combined their efforts to launch an attack on the police station situated in Hnitkayin village, leading to a fierce clash. In response the troops of the coup regime retaliated by unleashing intense shelling and conducting air raids in the area.
As a result of the relentless shelling and airstrikes carried out by the Military Council, thousands of Hnitkayin residents were forced to flee their homes in a desperate attempt to secure their safety and preserve their lives.
According to an abbot of a local monastery, the presence of Military Council troops stationed at the village police station continues to pose a significant risk of renewed fighting at any given moment.
"Only a handful of boys are left in the village. The entire place is eerily quiet. Beyond the village, KNLA and PDF are closely monitoring the situation, and there is a looming threat of further attacks and subsequent clashes. The Military Council has discreetly stationed sentinels around the police a displaced woman said to maintain vigilance”, the abbot said.
At present women, children, elderly individuals, and those with disabilities from the village have found temporary refuge by seeking shelter with their relatives and friends in neighboring towns and villages.
A displaced woman said "This time, we simply couldn't muster the courage to return to our village after we fled. In the previous clash, we made the mistake of assuming the situation had stabilized, only to find ourselves caught in yet another fight when we returned. It's because of this experience that we are hesitant to go back home this time. The prevailing atmosphere has left us all in a state of panic and uncertainty”, a displaced woman said.
Following the assault on the Hnitkayin police station, the 317th Artillery Battalion of the Military Council launched a barrage of indiscriminate shelling, resulting in the destruction of several homes. Tragically, a 20-year-old woman lost her life in the attack, while three others sustained injuries severe enough to require hospitalization.
On June 8th, the Military Council unleashed artillery fire upon the entry of the joint forces of KNLA and PDF into Hnitkayin village, tragically resulting in the death of a local woman who was struck by a shell.
Since mid-June, skirmishes between the Military Council and the combined forces of KNLA and PDF have become increasingly common in Ye Township, as the joint resistance forces seek to expand their influence and gain control over previously unoccupied territories.
As per the statement from the local PDF, the Military Council engaged in six clashes with the joint forces of KNLA and PDF over a span of three days, specifically from June 26th to 28th, along the Ye-Dawei highway.
