Myanmar’s military regime has blocked roads in Thandwe Township, southern Rakhine State, preventing residents from fleeing amid fierce clashes between its troops and the Arakan Army (AA).
The travel restrictions came shortly after the AA’s political wing, the United League of Arakan, issued a statement on Monday last week urging civilians and international organizations to evacuate Buthidaung, Maungdaw and Thandwe townships as fighting with the junta escalates.
The regime responded by blocking residents of Thandwe town from leaving along the Thandwe-Gwa-Yangon road. It also issued an order to shoot on sight villagers who flee along the major river route to Thandwe town.
Villagers in Shwe Hlay, 32 kilometers north of Thandwe town, are using the Sinkaung-Kinmaw river route to flee fighting that has been raging in their area for the past month.
The exodus was triggered when nine residents of Lin Thi village in Shwe Hlay were killed by an unprovoked junta artillery strike on May 14.
The regime evacuated staff of the nearby Tha Htay Chaung hydropower project by road in early May. However, residents remain trapped in Shwe Hlay after being barred from using the road.
Regime troops have intensified shelling and bombing of the township’s residential areas since early May, inflicting civilian casualties and property damage, said locals.
The fighting has displaced tens of thousands of residents from at least 10 villages in Shwe Hlay and around the Tha Htay Chaung hydropower project.
They are taking shelter in Thandwe town and villages so far untouched by the clashes, said residents.
The regime is permitting only sick residents and caregivers to leave Thandwe.
For permission to leave, residents say they must submit a form detailing their names, race, religion, address, the bus they are taking, along with medical records, hospital note, copies of their residency certificate, and police clearance, to the township General Administration Department at least two days before travel.
In Thandwe’s popular beach town of Ngapali, the ward administration office closed on Friday after a large crowd of residents applied for travel permission, said a resident.
“Some of my friends could not leave Thandwe as the administrator refused to give approval,” she said.
The Irrawaddy’s calls to junta-appointed Rakhine State government spokesman Hla Thein went unanswered.
Demand from the exodus of people fleeing the township has sent travel costs soaring.
The cost of renting a seven-seater vehicle from Thandwe to Yangon has surged to two million kyats (around US$ 530).
Meanwhile, the price of a flight from Thandwe to Yangon has shot up from 170,000 kyats to 450,000 kyats since the AA issued the evacuation notice. Air Mingalar (previously Air KBZ) is the only airline operating between Thandwe and Yangon.
Tickets are fully booked until the last week of June, according to sellers.
Also booked up until the end of June are the Thandwe-Yangon flights that state-owned Myanmar National Airlines plans to launch next month.
