Pajau Media
25th September, 2024
According to reports from evacuees, residents of Sum Pi Yang village have been displaced for nearly four months due to ongoing clashes between two armed forces. The evacuees are unable to return home as SAC forces remain stationed in their village.
Despite the challenges of living in an IDP camp, the displaced residents have no choice but to stay, as their village remains occupied by the SAC forces. Many are suffering from seasonal illnesses in the camp, and while some are receiving treatment on-site, others with more serious conditions are being sent to Sumprabum and Myitkyina for medical care.
An evacuee currently living in the IDP camp shared, "Almost everyone, including the elderly and children, is suffering from seasonal diseases. Those with severe conditions, like stomach disease and appendicitis, are being sent to Sumprabum and Myitkyina for treatment."
It has also been reported that the SAC forces stationed in Sum Pi Yang village are slaughtering and consuming the locals' livestock, such as cattle, hens, and pigs, as well as taking the villagers' rice. The soldiers frequently fire their guns in the village, making it unsafe for the evacuees to return.
One evacuee explained, "Our main struggle in the IDP camp is getting basic food supplies. It’s difficult to return to the village to collect food because the SAC forces are stationed there. All our belongings, like our livestock, rice, and possessions, have been taken by the SAC forces."
Additionally, four civilians who returned to the village to collect food, just a week after they had fled, were arbitrarily arrested by the SAC forces. They have not been released since.
It is also reported that the SAC is expanding its military presence in areas with heightened tensions. Military operations have resumed in the Putao region, and the IDPs fear that the clashes may intensify once again.
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