Kawkayeik, June (20)
The civilians in Kawkayeik live in constant fear of junta shelling and deal with several challenges in earning a living, said the locals.
There have been frequent clashes between the junta army and the revolutionary forces in Kawkayeik Township, and the regime troops is targeting people and carrying out airstrikes and massive artillery fire into the villages.
Attacks by the military council have frequently resulted in the deaths or injuries of local people and the loss of their homes.
Agriculture is the main source of income in Kawkayeik Township, but junta shelling has made it challenging for the locals to cultivate, and it is hard to continue activities amid the threat of heavy weapons during the harvest time.
Saw Nanda Suu, the organizer of Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG), stated that the military council’s targeted attacks made it difficult for the people to survive and that its brutal acts amounted to war crimes. Houses, animals, and buildings were destroyed as a result of the military council’s indiscriminate shooting. Moreover, places of worship, educational facilities, clinics, and hospitals were all destroyed in the junta air raid”.
Nowadays, the local people have fewer job opportunities due to the military conflict, and most of the young people are leaving for Thailand to work.
In addition, the junta forces are frequently carrying out artillery fire, airstrikes, and reconnaissance, raising concerns among the students in the region, a local teacher in Kawkayeik said.
On June 6, the junta aircraft bombed Sanphala village in KNU’s Kawkayeik Township, and some houses and buildings, including the school in the village, were damaged, and the school was temporarily closed.
Kawkayeik Township in Karen State is one of the most important townships in Thai-Myanmar trade after the border town of Myawaddy, although the residents have faced many obstacles since the coup.
News-Than Lwin Times
Photo-KNU
