Fighting overcomes the Wet Let region

Over the last few months, the Myanmar military has been conducting operations to the north and west of Shwebo in Upper Myanmar, but on March 15 a local news outlet, The 74 Media, reported that thousands of people had fled from six villages in Wetlet township in the southeast of Shwebo. They are suffering in the hot sun with little access to food, shelter or medicine.

The township is well-known for being the birthplace of several prominent Buddhist monks, including Mahā Gandayone Sayadaw Janakābhivamsa and Sagaing Tipitakadhara Sayadaw more recently. 

Wetlet residents are fleeing fighting caused by the State Administration Council (SAC) troops, with the Wetlet People’s Defense Force (PDF) providing resistance. The news report quoted a refugee as saying, “We are in upper Myanmar where there are no hills, so we have no choice but to just stay in the fields. Many children and elderly people are suffering from the extremely hot sun. There is no shelter, no shade, nowhere to hide. The people who are suffering and sick are in dire need of doctors and medicine.”

When the report was published, the SAC forces had made the villages their base, which prevented the villagers from returning home for food and supplies. “We didn’t dare try to help anyone. If we tried to bring a sack of rice, they’d take it. We couldn’t stock up on any food. If people tried, [the SAC troops] would accuse them of supporting the PDF and arrest them.”

Due to the fighting, all the residents of Taung-kone village, as well as those from neighboring Inn-be-gyi, Sa-taung, Ywa-thit, Padauk-chyone and Nyaung-kan villages, fled their homes. With around 800 households in each village, this means about 5,000 people in total have had to flee. After some fierce clashes, the SAC troops burned down some of the homes in the villages.