As the fighting intensified in some townships of Mon State, with the military junta firing mortar shells, residents abandoned their homes and relocated to the town.
Since the fighting in Chaunghnitkhwa, Kyaikmarraw Township, there has been a significant increase in the number of people relocating, according to a real estate agent specializing in houses, farms, and land in Mawlamyine Township.
“Most of the people are renting houses, especially those from Kyaikmarraw in Mawlamyine. The demand for rentals has surged to the point where we can no longer find available apartments or houses in Mawlamyine,” he stated.
House rents have increased due to the influx of people.
Currently, rent for a house in Mawlamyine Township is at least 2 lakh kyats per month, depending on the location and condition of the house.
Likewise, in Ye Township, where residents endure mortar shells and bombings at night, people are moving to Thanpyuzayat, Mudon, Mawlamyine Townships, and other villages.
A resident of Ye remarked, “Now you can hear the sounds of bombs and gunshots at night. Some people have relocated to other cities and villages where they have relatives because of fear.”
In Mon State, there is an ongoing battle between the military junta and the revolutionary forces in Ye, Kyaikmarraw, Bilin, Thaton, and Kyaikto townships, leading to tens of thousands of local residents being forced to flee.
According to a November 25th report from ISP – Myanmar, an independent research group, the number of people fleeing the civil war has increased as fighting has intensified in the three-year period following the February 1, 2021 military coup.
