Telephone and internet connections are cut off in the northern part of Shan State Namkhan, Muse, Lauk Kai, Pang Seng, Kut Kai and Hsenwi—where the fighting is still intense and tens of thousands of local residents are trapped in the middle of the fighting, MPA has investigated.
After the military junta bombarded Namkhan Town with jet fighters on November 3rd, phone and internet lines were cut off.
Similarly, phone and internet connections have been cut off in Muse town since that day, so assistance organizations have lost contact with residents.
“At the moment, both phone and the internet lines are down in Namkhan and Muse. I can’t get in touch with them. Yesterday, before the phone line went out, the last thing I knew was that the SAC dropped bombs by airplane on Namkhan,” said Ying Lyan Han from the Shan Human Rights Foundation (SHRF).
In addition, in the towns of Kut Kai and Hsenwi, phone and internet lines go up and down alternately. The internet line is also cut off in Pang Seng, and even the Mytel phone lines that were available the previous day are no longer able to communicate.
The MPA was unable to contact a Mytel SIM card user who was sheltering under the Wan Ting Bridge in Pang Seng due to a phone line cut off.
The Shan Human Rights Foundation said that there are tens of thousands of local people trapped inside the towns as fighting continues to rage in towns where the phone lines are cut off.
“I have to say that there are tens of thousands of people trapped,” said Ying Lyan Han.
In addition, around eight thousand residents are still trapped in the town of Hsenwi, and there are around five thousand residents who have been able to escape to out of the town, the Ta’ang Women’s Organization confirmed.
“The bridge was destroyed, so about 8,000 residents are trapped. About 5,000 can come out,” said an official from the Ta’ang Women’s Organization.
The trapped people have lost contact with their family members since November 3.
“There are many people who are trapped in Hsenwi as before. There are also people who have no contact at all. Their families are also worried about how they are happening,” said Ying Lyan Han.
The military junta has blocked the people trapped between the battles in these towns and does not accept assistance organizations to rescue the people.
“We went to rescue people who fled the war in some places, but the military is closed. They don’t let the people out. There are many people who are trapped,” Ying Lyan Han said.
Furthermore, residents trapped in Muse and Peng Seng are having trouble getting food as it is difficult to even travel from one place to another, and there is a high possibility of food shortages in the next few days, according to assistance organizations.
“In some villages, we can’t go to them, and they can’t come here to get food. They are trapped. They are eating only what the monastery has. If it takes a few more days, there is a possibility that they will run out of food,” said an official from the Tai Youth Organization.
According to the current situation, communication lines are cut off in the towns of Namkhan, Muse, Lauk Kai, Pang Seng, Kut Kai and Hsenwi. Assistance organizations are trying to rescue and provide support to the residents.