Approximately 5,000 residents trapped in their villages in Launglon Township, Tanintharyi Region by junta blockades of all roads leading to the villages urgently need assistance.
The blockades, which junta soldiers claim to have set up for security reasons, have left residents of Punyit, Waydi, Kahtaungni, Kanyon, and Kadetnge villages in Launglon Township trapped and in need of assistance, according to the Mon State Humanitarian Network (MSHN).
These villages are home to around 5,000 people. Some of the residents are now sheltering in monasteries and other public gathering places instead of their homes due to fears over the junta's activities in the area.
MSHN spokesperson, Nai Marawt Mon, said: “Some are seeking refuge in monasteries, village public halls, and other areas they believe are less likely to be affected if clashes occur. While some villages have not been directly impacted by conflict, the junta's strict blockades have made it difficult for residents to even access food, creating significant hardships for them.”
He also accused the junta soldiers of violating the villagers' human rights.
He said: “From a human rights perspective, the junta columns have been abducting and torturing people in every village along their march. They have also forced locals to act as human shields and porters. Some of the abductees have been shot dead, with their bodies dumped near the villages.”
According to MSHN, there are currently about 3,000 people who have been displaced by ongoing fighting in Launglon Township.
Nai Marawt Mon said that MSHN is collecting data to facilitate humanitarian assistance in nine townships across Mon State, Karen State, and Tanintharyi Region, with plans to expand the effort to other townships.
MHSN is a Civil Society Organisation that tries to ensure people receive the support they need by gathering data from nine townships in Mon and Karen states and Tanintharyi Region and using that data to help provide effective aid to those areas.
Nai Marawt Mon said that MSHN plans to expand its aid efforts to other townships in the near future.
