Villagers who fled clashes between the Burma Army (BA) and the Chinland Defence Force in Matupi Township last October are running out of options as their basic food rations are almost depleted. According to a man helping them, they also lack medicine, blankets, tarpaulins and mosquito nets.

Fleeing from the BA soldiers advancing on their village along the road from Mindat to Matupi, they could not take anything with them when they sought refuge on top of Ai Dup Hill.

Since then, the soldiers have ransacked their houses to steal anything of value, the man explained.

According to volunteers, about 1,370 people from Chang Pyan, Ram Tein, Munton and Hertul are sheltering on the hill.

“At the moment, they are sharing the leftover food and I think everything will be used up in a week,” said the man, but he has run out of funds to help the hard-pressed villagers.

Already six sick people, including an eight-year-old child, have died after they could not get medicine.

Since the overthrow of Burma’s democratic government more than a year ago, the army has launched at least three major clearance campaigns in southern Chin State.