Residents displaced by conflict from Bawlakhe town, Karenni State, say the military commission has been pressuring them to return to their homes in preparation for the upcoming elections. According to displaced locals, the military has threatened that if they do not return, their houses and land will be confiscated as public property.

The military council has been using threats against residents in nearby towns and communities as part of its strategy, attempting to pressure them into persuading displaced people in other areas to return home.

A local man said such threats had also been issued in the past to force residents back. He added that the renewed warnings now appear to be part of efforts to mobilize people ahead of the elections.

“We heard it. We have heard about these threats before. This is not new—they have urged people to return home many times. They say things like, ‘If you return home, nothing will happen.

Everything will be fine.’ But now they are pushing harder, clearly for the sake of the election,” one displaced resident said.

On September 5, the military commission reportedly transported some non-CDM civil servants and local residents from Bawlakhe by helicopter to assist in election preparations, according to a member of the local resistance.

“There are still people left in the town, mostly non-CDM staff along with some locals. On the 5th, a helicopter came and took a group of them to help with election work,” he said.

The military commission had already announced on August 21 that Phase 1 of the elections will take place on December 28, including both Loikaw and Bawlakhe townships. Some civilians still live in the town under SAC-controlled areas, though the exact number of residents remaining in Bawlakhe could not be independently verified by Kantarawaddy Times.

In February, clashes broke out inside Bawlakhe Township, and resistance forces had issued warnings for residents to evacuate. However, according to local sources, some civilians still remain in the town.