An interview with the spokesperson of the Emergency IDP Helping Committee.
January 19th, 2022
Following the junta’s offensives in Lay Kay Kaw area, thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have emerged in just a few hours.
The Karen Information Center (KIC) interviewed Saw Al Hu, Spokesperson of the Emergency IDP committee which is helping the IDPs in the east of Dawna Mountain in Myawaddy Township.
Q: What are the major challenges for fleeing civilians?
A: The main challenge is the accommodation. They have a few blankets and clothes donated by the people during the fighting period. But they feel hot in the day time and cool at night as the camps are not like the houses. They fear that they may get arrested and be hit by heavy shells as the place where they are taking shelter is not a safe place.
Q: What is the major need of the fleeing IDPs as they are moving from one place to another for many days?
A: Among the fleeing IDPs are children, the elderly and the people with disabilities. Health is crucial as some IDPs have to flee without bringing along clean water and medicines.
Q: May I know your assumption about the situation of the current armed conflicts which erupted on December 15th and the future prospects of the IDPs?
A: There will be no dissipation of fighting. Fighting may become more intense. Because the junta troops are stationed in the areas like Wawlay, Mawkhee, Kanallay, Sukali, Thaebawboe and Ukalihta. The military could dispatch rations to the outposts in those places every year. But now, the military is unable to dispatch rations. Fighting may become more intense as the military troops are marching to those areas through increased deployments of the troops.
Fighting continues to intensify and there will be bigger challenges for the public if the enemy’s offensive continues. Finding a safer place may become the major challenge. It is not sure whether Thailand will accept IDPs or not. On the other hand, locals have not finished their farming. Some people have not harvested corn while some others have fled without doing anything. Some people have not sold their harvested corn. All locals in the eastern part of Dawna Mountain may be in trouble as long as fighting becomes intense.
Q: May I know the number of the fleeing IDPs in this area including Lay Kay Kaw and the measures taken by the committee to solve their difficulties?
A: Although we are working by forming the IDPs committee in five wards, we cannot confirm the exact number of IDPs yet. But what I can say is the people in Malhtawthalay, Pahikalaw, Ingyinmyaing, Phalu, Phalulay, Talareihtee, Hteehawhtaw, Lay Kay Kaw and Malwahkhee in Phalu village-tract are fleeing. Locals in Ukayayhta don’t dare to sleep at their houses. Locals in Thaebawbo village are fleeing to other places as it is close to the military outpost. We cannot give the exact number of IDPs as we have not finished our fieldwork. But Lay Kay Kaw alone has more than 20,000 IDPs. There may be thousands of the IDPs who are taking shelter in Thailand.
Q: Which measures has the committee taken to help the IDPs in the long term?
A: Our committee has a plan. We have discussed it with an organization like the Committee for Internally Displaced Karen People (CIDKP). Our mother organization, the Karen National Union (KNU) cooperates as we have submitted that this matter will not be completed withins a few months. Our committee has a plan to cooperate with the groups working on the ground.
Q: Let me know the extent of damages to the houses, buildings and workplaces caused by the fighting?
A: There is no report of casualties in Thaybawboe. But the fighting damaged the houses there. Artillery shells fell on the corn plantation as well as Karen houses on the Thai soil. The junta troops carried out the indiscriminate firing of heavy weapons. The attacks did not hit the military targets.
Q: Local civilians only suffer the consequence of fighting. What are the feelings, views and desires of the locals?
A: We don’t want war. The public opposes the military’s seizure of power. The current fighting is the result of the military coup. There would be no fighting if Min Aung Hlaing did not seize power. The peace process has stalled. The whole country is experiencing fighting as the military has seized power by force. It is not new to us as we have been experiencing it for more than 70 years. I expect that it will be the last. The time has come to unitedly overthrow the dictatorship by reassembling people and armed groups. The public doesn’t want the situation in which the future generations continue to suffer. We no longer want the period in which the people are governed with arms.
Q: What kinds of challenges are the students facing?
A: Now, we are concerned mostly for students. These students come from different villages. They have to stay far away from their parents. Due to the current fighting, they have put distance between the students and their parents again. We are very concerned for their safety. They have sat the exam twice. They have not sat the final exam yet. They cannot pay attention to their learning as they have to flee. Their only attention is whether they have to flee now, at night or tomorrow. We are also concerned about the teachers.
Sent by the KIC.
