Hundreds of civilians are unable to return to their village after regime soldiers occupied it after Kachin resistance fighters attacked them in Shwegu Township, Kachin State.
“Some of the villagers were working on their farm when the fighting broke out (nearby) and they couldn’t bring anything with them when they fled,” said a man from Shwegu town who’s knowledgeable about the situation but wished to remain anonymous for fear of his safety.
The displaced villagers of Moe Sitt (also called Mosit) need food above all, but also blankets, mosquito nets and clothes. Aid workers are providing some of these things, but more help is needed.
The Burma Army (BA) captured the village after the Kachin People Defence Force (KPDF) ambushed them as they crossed the Irrawaddy River from Kyun Taw. According to the KPDF, the BA sustained fatalities during the 22 September attack.
As long as the junta soldiers remain in Moe Sitt, we cannot return, said a man who’s one of the 469 out of 108 families sleeping in four Buddhist monasteries in Shwegu town.
“Some people are returning to work on their farm located far outside the village, and they return to Shwegu in the evening.” He said that Moe Sitt is on the west bank of the Irrawaddy River, while Shwegu is on the east side.
