Residents of some of the 12 villages attacked by regime forces in eastern Shwegu Township have returned to clean up and restore street lighting.
In 7 villages targeted by the Burma army offensive in the third week of March, residents are reinstalling electrical lines, and the regime has agreed to provide them with power. These include Simu Gyi, Simu Lay, Mang Ner, Tong Kok, Mang Hker, Nam Lang and Nawng Latt Gyi in Kachin State.
“Four people from the Electric Power Cooperation have come to observe the situation in our village,” a man from Simu Gyi told KNG. He explained that most of the houses in his village had not been burnt, but other villages that had suffered major damage would not be supplied with electricity for the time being.
Soldiers burnt down 45 houses in Simu Gyi , 75 houses in Simu Lay, 47 houses in Mang Ner, 41 in Tong Kok, 35 in Mang Hker, 35 in Nam Lang and 32 in Nawng Latt Gyi.
Large parts of Si Tha, Si Thaung and Si Maw were destroyed during the junta’s offensive and cannot be connected to the electricity grid.
More than 7,000 civilians from the 12 villages were displaced by the attacks, with many still hiding in the jungle waiting to return once the situation stabilises and the power is restored.
