After the Tatmadaw decamped from the Paline Japan military base to the New Mon State Party (NMSP), near Three Pagodas Pass Town, on Thai-Burma border, on Thursday, refugees returned to find many households items have disappeared, according to village residents.

The Tatmadaw has now established a presence at the Hinthar Dine checkpoint located 900 feet away from the NMSP base. The Karen Border Guard Force (BGF) have fully withdrawn from the area, according to the NMSP.

“They took away everything from our house including cook pots and clothes. Nothing has been left for us. We never experienced this before. How can we even continue living here? Asked a shopkeeper from Paline Japan village in video sent to the Mon News Agency.

Mon community-based organizations have been developing a list of household items that disappeared since the fighting and occupation of their village.

Another resident who returned said, “I felt disappointed to see my house has been burgled. My television food carriers, new clothes, and good household items from my house were missing, and almost all of our neighbor’s houses also got broken into.”

Paline Japan village was designated as a permanent base of NMSP. This was during the time when the State Peace and Development Council (SLORC (Na-Wa-Ta) formed the government. The area has been without conflict for 25 years.

However, on November 27th, 2019, the Tatmadaw entered the NMSP military base area to check the Thai-Myanmar border situation without adhering to the conditions of the national ceasefire agreement. Fighting broke out and over a two day period nearly 1000 villagers sought refuge in Thai territory and area plantations.

Wardrobes destroyed and homes ransacked (photo : Mi Cho)