By Kantarawaddy Times
Regime shelling near an unidentified village where civilians fleeing the conflict have taken refuge forced five schools in western Demawso Township to close.
“We’re concerned for the safety of the children and have temporarily closed the schools,” a staff member of an education committee for internally displaced persons (IDPs) told Kantarawaddy Times, wishing to remain anonymous.
On Monday 18 July, four shells landed near the village in Karenni State where the IDPs are staying. Fortunately, no one was injured, but several houses were damaged.
A total of 1,348 students attend high school, middle school and primary school in the village. All of the schools have been open for only a month.
“We can’t say exactly when the schools will reopen. Because we don’t know what’ll happen, it could be tomorrow or the day after tomorrow,” the man explained.
According to the Kayah State Teachers’ Union, more than 300 schools have been opened in areas controlled by the Karenni armed groups.
Since the armed resistance against the military dictatorship began in the spring of 2021, there have been repeated artillery attacks by the Burma Army (BA) in Karenni State on civilian villages where IDP camps are located.
On 6 July, one man was killed in fighting between Karenni resistance groups and the BA in Loikaw Township.
A local, who requested anonymity, told Kantarawaddy Times that the man was hit in the head by a bullet after fighting broke out near a school in Lawkahtu in Lawpita village tract, where the BA fired about five shells at the village.
According to an officer of the Karenni Nationalities Defence Force, his group and the Karenni Army attacked the regime forces, who retaliated with artillery strikes and jet fighters.
