Locals flee amid heavy downpour due to junta operation in Dawei SEZ

After junta troops entered Nabulel Village Tract in the Dawei Special Economic Zone (Dawei SEZ) in Tanintharyi Region, many locals fled with only the clothes on their backs despite heavy downpour.

At around 5:30 a.m. on May 28, a junta column of about 100 troops, temporarily stationed in the deep-sea port project area of the Dawei SEZ, advanced toward Leshaung Village in the Nabulel Village Tract.

Previously, junta columns had only entered villages during clear weather, but this time they advanced amid heavy rain, locals said.

“Very early in the morning, soldiers entered the village, so we fled on motorbikes without being able to take any belongings with us. The soldiers are now stationed in groups inside houses. All villagers have already fled to safety,” a 40-year-old Leshaung villager said.

It remains unclear in which direction the junta troops stationed in Leshaung Village will advance next, prompting residents of nearby Hteingyi and Paradat villages to anxiously monitor their movements.

The activities of junta troops have caused insecurity among locals who rely on orchard farming as their main source of income, raising concerns of a broader livelihood crisis.

In Dawei District, junta military activities reportedly became more frequent in May. On May 25, around 100 junta troops entered Yalaing Village in the Dawei SEZ, stayed for two nights, and withdrew on the morning of May 27.

Similarly, the junta has been carrying out security operations with large troop deployments in several villages in northern Launglon Township, Tanintharyi Region.

As a result, local villagers have been forced to hide and take refuge in nearby forests for about a week now.