According to residents, after the SAC forces entered the Kinmunchon village at 7:00 a.m. on March 28, and burned down the entire village, those fleeing the war in the area are currently in need of help.
“Since the 26th, when we heard the news about the Military column, the defense forces told us to stay away. We also took a small package and some clothes and went to sleep in the forest. That morning, we returned to the village saying that the column was not yet heading towards the village. So, we were still preparing to cook. They entered the village firing with guns. When we reached the edge of the woods, we looked at the village, and it was full of smoke,” a resident who lost his house told MPA.
Kinmunchon village is a village with around 140 houses and currently, only 13 houses are still intact. It is said that the military column that entered the area was about 200 soldiers.
“I also saw they were burning my house. They ransacked and set fire one house after another saying that I had to go and see it. They also took the things from the house before it was gone. They also told me to take what I liked. When we arrived at the house of his niece (elder brother’s daughter), they broke the glass door of the house with a gun and broke it. Then they entered the house and took the things that they liked. And told me, I can take them I like. I was scared and said that I would not take them, but luckily, I was released.”, said a 67-year-old local man who was arrested and met with the column.
Currently, the IDPs include many elderly and sick people, and two-thirds of them are girls.There are around 40 children under the age of five, and most of these children are sick due to the changing of the season and need medicine.
“The *** (SAC troops) continued to fire 40 mm shells continuously. The column coming from Mahlaing Twin reaches Samaing, so some of us took out people from the village and others have to shoot for cover. In the battle happening in the village, about three soldiers were killed and one of our comrades was hit by a piece of shell and was injured non-critically. On the 30th, their column left. The people of the village had to escape urgently, so they only have the clothes on their back and they have nothing.
As our defense forces, we have tried to do what is necessary as much as possible. Even though everything in the battalion has been used up, including medicine, they still need a lot,” explained a comrade from Minbu District Battalion (1) who participated in the battle on the 28th.
It is known that all the defense forces in the region are helping the IDPs with food, clothing, and medicine, but as the entire village was burned down, they have no home to return to, and they are unable to get any utilities, and there are difficulties in sustaining it for a long time.