During the week the Tatmadaw army and the Karen Border Guard Force (BGF) occupied Palaing Japan village many houses were broken into, ransacked and property stolen. The village head told Mon News Agency that local people have suffered an estimated 50 million kyat in property losses.

“The Tatmadaw and BGF have left our village. About ten houses are empty, and the owners registered their property losses and damages list. The total based on the registered list is over 10 million Thai Baht or an estimated 500 million Kyats,” according to the head member of the Palaing Japan village.

The property damage includes mechanical equipment from a car and motorcycle repair shops, a retail shop as well as cars and motorcycles along with mechanical parts, clothes, secure personal savings boxes, mobile phones, televisions along with satellite dishes, sewing machines, kitchen wares, and even pets.

“All [mechanical repair tools] including welding equipment from the car garage has been taken away. At the motorcycle repair shop, the spare parts stolen cost about 300,000 Thai Baht, and the shop was empty. A car with the registration plate of Yangon D4D has disappeared as well,” he added.

The Tatmadaw has relocated its base 900 feet away at the Hinthar Dine checkpoint, and most villagers are afraid to return home.

There are more than 100 students attending the Mon National Secondary School in Palaing Japan village, and the school has been closed for more than ten days. A teacher from the community said it is not known when it will be reopened.

“The situation is not safe at the moment. There could be a clash anytime as the Tatmadaw and New Mon State Party (NMSP) bases are only 900 feet away from each other. People come back to the village during the day and move to the nearby village to sleep at night. All the doors of the house beside the main street are closed during the day. It will take some time to turn things back to normal as long as the army groups are still here. The student examination day is also getting closer,” she added.

There was a clash on November 27th as the Tatmadaw army and the Karen Border Guard Force (BGF) attempted to enter the Mon ethnic armed military base without obtaining prior permission as specified in the National Ceasefire Agreement. The Tatmadaw and the Karen BGF took control of the area and forced over 1000 local people to take refuge in Thailand for more than a week.

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Soe Khine Motorcycle repair shop broken into (photo:MNA)