January 17th, 2022
The Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have lost their way after the junta’s airstrike on two IDP camps in the west of Phruso Township in Karenni State.
An official of the IDP Support Committee in the west of Phruso Township said: “The IDPs don’t know where to go. They don’t dare to stay in nearby areas. No place is safe. There is no place to which they can flee. They don’t know what to do.”
There are more than 6,000 IDPs in Phruso Township. More than 200 people are staying in that IDP camp. They are fleeing the IDP camp as they don’t dare to stay there any longer.
“The IDPs are fleeing aimlessly due to fear. I cannot imagine the situation of the IDPs if the junta troops conduct more airstrikes. I would like to call on the people to stop airstrikes,” he continued.
At around 1 am on January 17th, the junta troops carried out airstrikes on two IDP camps.
The victims killed in the airstrikes are: a 12-year-old girl, a 15-year-old girl and a 52-year-old man. They are all IDPs from Moso village.
This is the junta’s first airstrike on the IDP camp in Karenni State.
On the evening of January 16th, the junta troops bombarded Nanmalkhone in the west of Demawsoe Township, where the majority of the IDPs are taking shelter.
Three youth volunteers were killed in the bombardment.
Since early January this year, Demawsoe and Loikaw have seen intense fighting.
The total number of the IDPs from the townships including Loikaw has reached 170,000 as the junta troops are conducting aerial and ground attacks, said U Aung San Myint, Spokesperson of the Karenni State Consultative Council (KSCC).
So far, 15 civilians have been killed by the junta’s airstrikes and artillery shelling since the first week of January.
This act is a flagrant violation of human rights and a war crime.
It also amounts to showing a disregard for humanity.
The junta must pay for it, according to the statement by the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF) B-04.
Sent by Maw Oo Myar (the Kantarawaddy Times)
