Hundreds of families in Myanmar fled their homes on Saturday as fighting intensified between the military and anti-coup guerrilla forces, according to a local community organiser. Evacuation convoys carried their belongings, livestock, and loved ones to safety.
Since the military staged a coup in 2021, Myanmar has been gripped by a complex civil war, with over 3.5 million people displaced, according to the United Nations.
Heavy clashes have erupted since Monday around the village of Saung Nang Khae in eastern Shan State. Residents and organisers reported that locals were escaping to temporary shelters in BC Kone, about 60 kilometres (40 miles) southwest.
Makeshift convoys of tractors, overloaded with suitcases, wheelchairs, and chickens, transported families to safety. Khun Pyae Linn, spokesperson for the youth wing of the Kayan New Land Party—which controls the enclave and arranged the evacuations—said operations continued on Saturday.
“We’ve evacuated more than 600 people so far,” he said, “but other groups have helped as well, so the total may exceed 1,500.”
Earlier this month, both the military and some of its opponents had pledged a ceasefire to aid recovery efforts following a devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake in March, which killed over 3,700 people.
Despite this, 24-year-old Anyne Zel said artillery and air strikes forced her to flee her village—marking the second time in two years she has been displaced.
“I want to plead with them to stop the war. We, the civilians, are always the victims,” she said. “I no longer think about what the future holds.”
Facing battlefield losses to various ethnic armed groups and anti-junta fighters, Myanmar’s military has resorted to conscription to replenish its ranks. Still, analysts note that the regime retains the upper hand in military hardware, thanks to continued support from China and Russia.
Lone Phaw, a 63-year-old farmer, described how swiftly the violence reached Saung Nang Khae.
“My wife and I fled with only a change of clothes, some pots, blankets, and a bag of rice,” he said. “We just had to run. We have no idea what lies ahead.”