Local residents in Mawtaung, on the Thailand-Myanmar border, are forced to harvest their rice under dangerous conditions due to continuous aerial bombing by the military junta, which began after revolutionary forces captured the town.
Since the revolutionary forces seized Mawtaung town on November 14, the junta forces have been continuously launching airstrikes on the area around Thin Khun Village and Tha Byu Village from November 15 until today, forcing the farmers to harvest their rice with great difficulty.
A rice farmer from Ward No. 8 stated that when they hear the sound of a plane approaching, they have to take cover. Once the plane leaves, they return to harvesting.
They must risk the danger to harvest the rice because if they do not do so during the proper harvest time, the ripe grains will fall and be lost.
“We ran to the forest to seek shelter because we were afraid of the airstrikes. From the forest, we listen for the sound of planes and hitch a ride with any cars going out, trying to harvest as much as we can. We have to travel back and forth from where we are sheltering to where the rice is being harvested. If night falls, we just sleep in a hut there,” said the farmer.
A local resident mentioned that the cultivation of hill rice in the seven surrounding villages, including Tha Byu Village, Ward No. 9, and Ward No. 8, has increased compared to the last four years.
Locals also stated that some people are too worried and dare not harvest their rice, fearing that a drop and explosion of an airstrike or heavy artillery could endanger their lives.
“We are afraid of the airstrikes. We are not going to harvest. We will only go back and harvest what’s left once the situation calms down. Some others are going back and harvesting,” said one resident.
According to locals, some villagers from ten villages surrounding Tha Byu Village and Ward No. 9 had already started fleeing since November 1, even before the battle for the town began, due to circulating rumors that the military junta would launch aerial attacks.
