By Garcia Ni / MPA
In northern Chin State’s Tedim where the whole populace fled from clashes, around half of the displaced residents have returned to the town but they remain concerned about landmines left in the area, according to local sources.
On May 26, 2024, Chin Brotherhood Alliance Forces launched an attack on junta bases in Tedim, forcing residents living in town and from the neighborhood to flee.
After the clashes which commenced at the end of May, subsided in mid-June, locals have gradually returned to their homes, according to the report of a man from Tedim to MPA.
“We have been back in town for over a month now, and about half of the town’s population has already returned. However, things are not back to normal yet. Many shops are still closed, and there’s fear of landmines, so people are cautious about where they go, and they do not go out as much as before,” the source added.
On August 23, a male water management technician stepped on a landmine near the public hospital in Tedim, losing his right leg.
“We haven’t returned yet because we don’t know when fighting might resume, and we’re afraid of landmines. We will consider returning only when the situation is calm. Some people are unable to return because their homes were burned down or because their homes are near military positions,” said a local woman of Tedim who is sheltering in the Sizang area.
Reporting to MPA, sayar Jabez, the head of Tedim’s People’s Administration Team, has warned locals who have returned to Tedim to avoid traveling through the upper and lower roads near the public hospital, and the road in front of GTC, where the junta has reportedly placed numerous landmines.
According to Sayar Jabez, “Based on internal information, the military has planted landmines along these roads. We’ve warned people not to use these roads since after the clashes.”
During the clashes in Tedim, 84 civilian houses were damaged due to junta shelling and arson in addition to 28 houses in Tiangen Village that were set on fire by the junta troops while advancing.
“Recently, there’s been a lot of rainfall, so we’re worried about outbreaks of seasonal flu. Diseases typical for this season have become more common. There is an urgent need for medicine. As for food, the prices are skyrocketing, just like for people living in the lowlands. For us in Tiddim Township, it’s a really tough time,” Sayar Jabez continued.
On June 8, the junta detonated the Mansaung-Manipur Bridge on the Tedim-Rikhawdar border trade road and, on June 10, they shelled and destroyed the Zalwei Creek Bridge along the Tiddim-Tonzang road using artillery. As a result, trade routes with India have been severely impacted, forcing transportation to rely on alternative routes, according to local sources.
