The Mon State Junta has launched house-to-house searches and raids in Thanbyuzayat Township,
#Mon State after four soldiers deserted their unit.
The searches, which have been taking place in Wae Win Kara and Sakhan Gyi village tracts, have left residents fearful and unwilling According to local sources, on the afternoon of January 27, four Wae Kalee battalion soldiers, temporarily stationed near Mashi Kana Taung Kon and the entrance of Sakhan Gyi village, fled. Shortly after, the junta deployed around 200 troops to Wae Win Kara, Wae Katar, and Sakhan Gyi villages, conducting aggressive searches, raiding homes, and blocking key roads for three days.
A resident of Sakhan Gyi recalled seeing the soldiers buying many snacks from a convenience store before escaping.
"The four soldiers ran away, and now the junta is searching everywhere. They are going house to house. The villagers are too scared to go outside because there are so many troops. They are still searching," said a local woman.
This is not the first time junta troops have responded harshly to desertions. On January 20, three soldiers from the Wae Kalee battalion also escaped. In retaliation, the junta deployed around 300 soldiers into the Wae Win Kara village tract. They conducted intense searches for three days in Phae Pha Daw, Wae Katar, Wae Kalaung, and Wae Patote villages.
That same evening, about 300 villagers who had fled for safety cautiously returned home. However, fears remain high as junta forces continue their presence inside and outside villages. Some residents suspect that the military may have planted landmines in the surrounding areas, making it dangerous for rubber plantation workers to return to work.
Adding to the tension, on January 20, resistance forces clashed with junta troops between Phae Pha Daw and Kon Myint Thar villages. The fighting lasted for over an hour, and junta forces fired artillery shells from the Wae Kalee battalion, forcing nearly 300 civilians to flee for six hours in search of safer ground.
Locals in Thanbyuzayat Township are growing increasingly anxious as these repeated military operations continue to disrupt their daily lives. In August last year, junta troops had already frequently shelled villages near the Anan Kwin strategic camp, causing a surge in displaced residents.
Now, with soldiers deserting their ranks and the junta intensifying its crackdowns, fear and uncertainty remain high in these communities.
