Kay Du / Kantarawaddy Times
“Last year, the flood came, and much of our rice was submerged. This year, the floods came again. But, even if the floods came, we could still harvest at least half or a little, but now, we can’t do anything more.”
These are the words of Maw Hto Myar, a 30-year-old displaced woman from the eastern part of Pekhon Township, who was forced to abandon all of her investments in farming in a year and flee for safety.
The joint forces of the military junta and the Pa-O National Organization (PNO) launched an offensive into their village, so that the residents were forced to escape to safer areas. Most residents from the eastern side of Pekhon depend on farming and hillside cultivation for their livelihood.
On the morning of June 2, junta forces and the PNO, numbering about 1,000 troops, began advancing from Yay Phyu village towards the eastern part of Pekhon. As they drew closer, and with the junta regaining control of the border town of Moebye on July 1, 2025, the residents knew that without any more choices, it was time to flee.
“Right now is the planting season for monsoon rice, so we’ve invested a lot. We also planted summer rice, and some were close to harvest. But because of the worsening situation, we couldn’t harvest. Almost every household has already planted rainy-season rice, and just a few plots are left. And during the rainy season, we also plant corn. Every household plants it. The corn seeds are expensive, but we had to buy them. We already plowed the fields with costly hired machinery and planted everything. The crops have started to grow. But to flee after all this, it means every bit of money from our eastern community is now gone. We escaped with nothing but the clothes on our backs,” said Maw Hto Myar.
In past years, the release of water from the Moebye dam had already submerged thousands of acres of farmland below the dam. This year, on top of flooding, the military’s advance has left farmers with no chance to recover their investments in fields and crops.
For locals like Maw Hto Myar, who fled to save their lives, securing food and shelter for both now and in the future has become deeply uncertain.
Some displaced villagers decided to return to retrieve rice and paddy from their homes. Maw Hto Myar’s uncle, U Phray Reh, bravely went back with his nephew to bring back the harvested rice. They reached the village, but just as they were preparing to leave, they were trapped because junta troops took control of the Loikaw–Moebye highway.
In addition to being trapped, they were even attacked by the junta’s drones.
“When we loaded the rice sacks onto the truck and tried to leave, they said we couldn’t pass. So, we turned back. Near the village entrance, a drone followed us. Everyone scattered, but I was the only one who got hit,” said U Phray Reh.
He sustained injuries to one leg and one arm from the drone strike. Trapped in the village for several days, it took more than 10 days on foot to finally get out.
The long journey, combined with his injuries, left him utterly exhausted. Traveling on forest paths during the rainy season while avoiding junta troops meant days and nights of hardship.
“We had to stay in the forest, and it rained heavily. Food was also scarce,” said U Phray Reh.
After over 10 days, they finally reached a road where social rescue teams were able to help, and they were able to reunite with their families.
But having escaped with nothing but the clothes on their backs, they face an uncertain future.
“It’s difficult. I can’t work now. There’s no job. I don’t even know how I’ll find food,” said U Phray Reh.
Though they’ve escaped to what seems like safety, the threat of military attacks remains. The area where they’ve taken shelter, Demoso town, is now under threat as military advancing offensive draws closer. They are now making preparations to flee again if necessary.
No matter how hard they try to run for safety, every night, U Phray Reh’s family lives in fear, wondering if they will die from the fighting or from hunger, as the sounds of heavy artillery and aircraft fill the air.
