Residents in Kawkareik, Karen State, say they are facing difficulties after the military junta’s state administration provided only limited support for homes damaged during fighting while pressuring them to carry out reconstruction work.
The Karen State military junta administration conducted field visits on May 4 and 5 to encourage displaced residents from Kawkareik, who are currently sheltering in different areas, to return home and begin rebuilding efforts.
A Kawkareik resident said returning displaced families were provided with only five zinc roofing sheets and 10 bags of cement per household, while being pressured by the military junta to purchase the remaining construction materials at government-set prices and rebuild their homes.
“The military junta said it would help displaced people returning home rebuild their houses. They announced that construction materials would be provided. But the support is not even enough to build a very small house. Displaced people have to buy the remaining materials from them,” the resident said.
The resident added that rebuilding homes was impossible for many returning families who were struggling financially and lacked stable livelihoods.
A person close to displaced residents from Kawkareik said only a small number of people had returned home so far, while most were still monitoring the situation.
“Displaced people are still thinking about whether they should return home or not. If they return, they are ordered to rebuild their houses. The support being provided is incomplete. They are also worried about what punishment or action they could face if they fail to complete construction within the timeframe set by the authorities. That is why many people still do not dare to return,” the source said.
According to military junta records, more than 1,500 houses in Kawkareik were destroyed by fire during the fighting, and buildings that could no longer be repaired are currently being demolished and cleared.
Three neighborhoods near the town center and along the Asia Highway in Kawkareik were damaged by fire during heavy clashes between revolutionary forces and military troops in 2024.
Local residents said only people whose homes remained intact had returned to live in the town, while most homeowners whose houses were destroyed by fire had not yet returned.
Residents also said the Kawkareik reconstruction plan emerged after military junta leader Min Aung Hlaing, who currently holds the position of president in Naypyitaw, announced development projects under his government’s “100-day development” program.
