By Kantarawaddy Times
In Loikaw Township, Karenni State, soldiers from the military council have reportedly threatened to seize homes that locals have not returned to after fleeing the area. According to sources, military personnel stationed for security in the neighborhoods have warned some returning residents that unoccupied homes might be taken as state property.
“When we returned to check on our homes, we had to register our names. They asked if we were planning to return to live there. If not, they said they would take the homes as public property,” said a female resident of Chit Ken Ward. “Currently, we are displaced and have started a small business in another town. This news is deeply disheartening.”
During the 2023 full-scale military offensives, most residents of Loikaw fled to other areas due to intense fighting within the city. After more than a year in displacement, some locals have started returning to check on their homes. However, they face difficulties in resettling, compounded by these recent threats.
“We’ve heard about it. They say that if no one returns to live in the houses, the municipal authorities will clean them up and temporarily declare them as state property. Whether they will return them or not, we don’t know. Even if they do, it might require payment. It’s like a so-called cleaning service. Although they haven’t implemented this yet, the talk about it is widespread,” said a resident close to a municipal official in Loikaw.
Local residents believe the military council is using these threats as a way to demonstrate control over Loikaw and portray the city as operating normally under their governance.
Additionally, some unoccupied homes in military-controlled neighborhoods in Loikaw have reportedly been rented out by ward administrators without notifying the homeowners, with the rent being collected by the authorities.
In November 2024, the military council announced that residents wishing to return to certain neighborhoods in Loikaw—such as Naung Yar (A), Naung Yar (B), Main Lone, Htar Tha Ma, and Daw U Khu wards—could register at the Loikaw Township Administrative Office to be allowed to resettle.
The military council’s administrative body has also claimed to be working to restore electricity and communication lines in the city, reopen government offices, markets, universities, and schools, and carry out municipal cleaning and administrative tasks. These activities are often highlighted in their propaganda channels to showcase control and stability in the region.
