Ye, February (23)
The local community in Mon State’s Ye Township in Mon State, where martial law has been imposed, has felt insecure about its economic, social, and mobility situations, the residents told Than Lwin Times.
On February 2, the Military Council, which extended the state of emergency by six months, instructed the relevant regional commanders to impose martial law in 37 townships in eight regions and states where fierce fighting is raging.
A resident said that 20 days after martial law was declared, the residents of Ye Township are being affected by all sides and feel insecure because they can no longer move freely.
“There is nothing more we can do. We locked the door at 6 p.m. and remained inside my home. Everyone is uneasy and terrified that the military may open fire on them. Even being in our own home is not safe,” a resident said.
“When the residents encounter junta troops on the road, they worry that the troops will check their phone or extort money. If the junta sees two men riding on the same motorcycle, they confiscate the motorcycle or ask for ransom money,” he said.
Beginning on February 8, the Military Council imposed a curfew in Ye Township under Section 144 from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., which prohibited carrying sticks, knives, and weapons, assembling more than two persons, and preaching in public.
The military regime’s curfew has had a huge impact on the rubber industry in Ye Township, and rubber tapping has decreased in the rubber farms around the township.
Despite the fact that troops patrol Ye Township, crimes such as motorcycle thefts and home burglaries are on the rise between 2 and 4 a.m. on nights when the lights are out.
In addition, on February 9, the regime troops shot and killed Nai Ven, a resident of Mokanin village, Ye Township, who was on his way to a rubber farm.
The New Mon State Party, which is headquartered in Ye Township, Ye Chaung Phyar region, has not yet made any statements regarding local residents being restricted in their movements, being arrested, and being shot dead.
A Mon resident opined that the New Mon State Party is following the path of the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) and cannot do anything to protect the Mon people.
On the other hand, in the second week of February, the military regime arrested at least five local people, including a businessman, from Ye Township, and some of them will be released, but some remain in custody.
After martial law was declared in Ye Township, junta troops frequently launched offensive attacks, and the resistance forces conducted targeted attacks on junta battalions, checkpoints, police stations, and military vehicles.
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