Hundreds of villagers hiding in the jungle for over six months after fleeing advancing Burma army troops in Sagaing Region are suffering from the flu since August.
“There isn’t enough medicine for everyone,” an anonymous source said, explaining that medics provided treatment for the people here before, while another medic unit from a student army also came to help them. He said they gave them medicine but didn’t vaccinate them. Both seniors and children are getting sick. The fluctuating weather from sunny to rainy hasn’t helped matters.
Out of the 1,000 people who fled seven villages last March following the army’s deployment to the area, 200 are currently unwell. These individuals originate from Awng Kon, Inn Pin, Nant Tha, Maw Tik, Kyun Taw, Ywatha, and Ton Pu, all located in Indaw Township, near Kachin State. Approximately two-thirds of those who evacuated their homes are presently sheltering in the jungle, residing in bamboo huts, while the remainder have found accommodation with relatives in the vicinity.
Two Military Council columns have been camping in Maw Tik and Nant Tha, while a column from the town of Indaw frequently patrols the area, searching for resistance fighters. The ongoing presence of the junta soldiers in the area has prevented the civilians from going home.
Since the beginning of the year, the regime has reinstated martial law in Indaw Township, at the same time sending more troops to the region and stepping up security measures in the town and countryside. Many people accused of supporting the resistance have been detained, and some received death penalties.
