Military columns of the State Administration Council have been moving in and around approximately eight villages in northern Ye Township, Mon State—including Kanin Kamoat, Nyi Kyarine, Aung Thar Yar, Linmawgyin, and Kone Paw Ywar Thit—for more than three months.
According to local residents, the military columns, consisting of around 100 troops, do not remain stationed in any one village. Instead, they move from one village to another during the middle of the night.
The military column also frequently engages in direct clashes and ambushes with resistance forces operating in the area.
Local residents said that the military column and the ongoing clashes between the two sides have made travel increasingly difficult and left them facing growing security concerns.
“At the moment, the [military column] is staying at plantations belonging to local residents outside Aung Thar Yar Village. Since there has been no fighting recently, local residents have started going to their plantations to some extent. But if they encounter the military column, they are still subjected to checks,” said a male resident of Ye Township.
Residents traveling to their plantations, as well as those traveling along the Ye–Thanbyuzayat section of Union Highway No. 8 for medical and other emergencies, are also reportedly being subjected to checks by the military column.
Most residents of these villages rely primarily on agriculture for their livelihoods, particularly rubber plantations and betel nut plantations.
“We are afraid to go to our plantations. We are afraid to travel. We are even afraid to stay in the village. If they find us when we go to the plantations, they arrest us. When we travel, they check us. There are so many difficulties,” said another resident of Ye Township.
During these inspections, there have also been incidents in which residents’ phones and motorcycles were confiscated, while residents were detained for around two to three days before being released.
The military has also reportedly confiscated motorcycles belonging to young people who were playing football when the troops entered villages. The young people were detained and extorted for large sums of money for their release.
“When they conduct searches, they confiscate anything they find. If it’s a phone, you won’t get it back. If it’s a motorcycle, you have to pay money to get it back. When they come into the villages, they also tend to come when the school is off. They confiscate the young people’s motorcycles if left along the road — they do as they please,” the person said.
As a result, young people and other local residents are increasingly concerned about going outside and must exercise caution whenever they have to travel.
Residents in northern Ye Township remain concerned that clashes between the two sides could spread into their villages, as the military column continues to move and operate in the area.
