The 62 refugees, the entire population of Maung Hnama Village in Ponnyakyun Township, fled their homes in the third week of April and have been taking temporary shelter at an elementary school in the village of Pyinnyarwa in the Thaluchaung Village Group of Kyauktaw Township.

There are 34 male refugees and 28 female refugees including children and elders. As aid groups have been unable to reach them local villagers are providing them with food.

One of the refugees, Ko Win Tun, said to Narinjara News: “From our village we could hear a lot of gunfire. We heard it continuously for two or three days. We also heard the sound of heavy weapons being fired. The sounds were so overwhelming that we couldn’t stay. We heard them in the daytime and also at night. We got scared. That’s why we have run away,”

Refugees from Maung Hnama Village in Pyinnyarwa Village

Pyinnyarwa Village is located above Thaluchaung Village, also in Kyauktaw Township. According to local residents aid relief groups have not yet been able to reach the refugees because of communication problems and bad road conditions.

Another refugee, Daw Ma Saw May, said: “We were hiding because of the battles and we fled from our hiding place as we were scared, so we didn’t bring anything with us. We had to leave our clothes and pots and dishes behind. We are just eating the food given to us by this village. No group has come to help us yet.”

The Thaluchaung Village Group Administrator, U Aung Sein Hla, told Narinjara News that he has submitted an application to the township administrator asking for aid for the refugees.

Local residents said that they have also been providing aid to more than 20 other refugees who came to Thaluchaung Village after they had to flee from Natthayway and Awyama villages located in the area of Lawyama Mountain due to ongoing fighting in the region.

Translated by Thida Linn
Edited in English by Mark Inkey for BNI