Since a military troop has been positioned in Pauktawpyin village in Ponnagyun Township since May 16, local residents who are worried about being detained have fled from home, villagers said.

Villagers are worried that they will face similar situations like in Kyauktan village in Rathedaung Township. Nearly 200 households are now staying in nearby villages, said Ko Aung Mya Ko from Pauktawpyin village. Only 30 households have remained in the village now, he added.

“A military troop entered our village in the early morning and are stationed at the village school. So, villagers fled from their homes because they do not want to face similar situations that Kyauktan villagers experienced. Only elderly people have remained in the village,” he said.

Villagers are afraid of going outside for their living, so they face a food crisis and they are in need of relief aid, he added.

According to the administrator of the village, the military troop was stationed in the village but they did not do anything in the village.

They visited the village in civilian clothes and they were doing their daily chores in a peaceful way such as buying food in the village market and fetching water, village administrator U Kan Tun Maung said.

“Villagers are frightened because of what happened in Kyauktan village. Soldiers are fetching water themselves. They buy rice in the market. Nothing bad is happening to villagers,” he said.

In Kyaunktan village, Rathedaung Township, the Tatmadaw questioned 275 men on suspicion of connections with the AA and detained them in the village school since April 30, and six people died and another eight were injured during a gunfire in a conflict on May 2.