After the military seized a clinic in eastern Demawso Township, civilians displaced by Burma Army offensives have fled again.

An internally displaced person (IDP) told Kantarawaddy Times that the jungle clinics provide life-saving assistance for villagers uprooted by the conflict.

About 20 soldiers, however, took over the clinic located in an eastern area of the township on June 19. Civilians fear the Army will abduct them and force them to carry water and collect firewood.

Locals spotted about 30 troops from another military column traveling from Demawso town to Htee Poe Kaloe village tract on June 17. The soldiers looted homes in the area.

Last week, over 1,000 IDPs in eastern Demawso Township fled after Burma Army shelled their camp in the evening.

Burma Army dispatched more troops to the east days after Karenni National Defence Force (KNDF) reportedly announced a temporary ceasefire on June 15.

“I don’t understand who negotiated this ceasefire. I also want to know why the Burma Army is putting pressure on eastern Demawso Township,” another civilian affected by the conflict told Kantarawaddy Times.

Despite the peace agreement, the Burma Army is shelling villages and soldiers are staying in the towns and villages, setting up checkpoints to stop all travelers in Demawso Township.

Fighting in Karenni State has displaced about 100,000 civilians, equal to about one-third of the state’s population.