Kay Du / Kantarawaddy Times
“Nobody wants to sleep underground before they die, right? But when the airstrikes come, we don’t have time to run. And with drones, you don’t even hear them coming, so we have no choice but to sleep in the bomb bunkers.”
These are the words of a displaced woman living in the eastern part of Demoso Township.
Recently, although no battles have occurred in the area, the military junta shelled their village for two consecutive days, on March 5 and 6. In addition to artillery attacks, a school was bombed in an airstrike on March 5, which caused fear among the locals. As a result, many have been forced to sleep in bomb bunkers at night for safety lately.
Due to ongoing airstrikes and shelling, even though people do not want to stay in bomb shelters, they have no choice but to sleep in bomb shelters for safety.
While areas like Moebye and Bawlakhe are currently experiencing intense battles, Demoso is relatively far from those conflict zones. However, since March 5, the junta has been conducting continuous airstrikes and artillery attacks in Demoso Township.
“At around 9 AM today, they (the junta’s 102nd Battalion) fired artillery. Yesterday (March 5), they also bombed the school using fighter jets and fired heavy artillery. A displaced home was also burned down,” said a young man from the eastern part of Demoso.
Currently, as the academic year comes to an end, students are supposed to sit their final exams. However, due to fears of airstrikes, a school in eastern Demoso had to relocate its final exams to a safer location in the forest.
The school’s headmistress, a young woman, expressed concern about frequent junta surveillance drones over the area during exam periods.
“We relocated only after consulting with local administrative authorities. Even before the exams, drones had been flying over, and we were also hearing reports of intensified fighting in Bawlakhe. So, for the safety of our students, we moved the exam location in advance,” she said.
Her decision proved to be the right one. On March 5, the junta bombed the school twice, once at around 11 AM and again at 1 PM. Although the school building was destroyed, no casualties occurred, thanks to the early relocation.
Despite the ongoing conflict and targeting of schools, the school headmistress vowed to continue striving to ensure that the education of the next generation is not interrupted.
“If they destroy our education, they can rule over us as they please. That’s why they keep trying to destroy it. But no matter how bad the situation, we must continue our education. It’s our responsibility, and teachers, students, parents, and all stakeholders must work together to create a safer and better learning environment,” she added.
The school headmistress herself is also a displaced person. She fled her home village and is now living with other displaced civilians in what they believe to be a relatively safer location.
Due to the ongoing airstrikes, she, too, has no choice but to sleep in a bomb bunker at night.
“You never know when the artillery or jets will come. When fighter jets suddenly show up, there’s no time to run. Honestly, most of us sleep in the bomb bunkers because there wouldn’t be enough time to escape if a sudden attack happened at night,” she said.
Because of the frequent airstrikes since late 2023, local authorities in the eastern part of Demoso Township have been urging every household to dig bomb shelters and conducting inspections to ensure compliance.
At this moment, with the junta’s persistent attacks, civilians have no choice but to rely on bomb bunkers for safety.
