Warazup Villagers Demand Return After Two Months in Hiding as Conflict Persists

Pajau Media

May 8, 2025

Despite the State Administration Council's (SAC) declared ceasefire, intensified troop movements and ongoing airstrikes in Kachin State have forced increasing numbers of civilians to flee into jungle hideouts, according to local sources.

Residents of Warazup village in Hpakant-Tanai's Ledo Road area have now spent nearly two months displaced due to clashes between SAC-aligned forces and Kachin Independence Army (KIA) joint troops, with tensions remaining high along the frontline.

While currently able to shelter in the forests, displaced villagers fear impending monsoon rains will bring severe shortages of food and medicine. They urgently request authorities facilitate their safe return before the rainy season begins.

Though Warazup previously hosted no SAC or Militia forces, tensions escalated in early March when KIA-allied troops established positions near the village. The situation worsened after April 4 when Min Zay Thant Militia forces occupied the settlement, where they remain stationed today.

Villagers report militia troops burned abandoned homes during the displacement, though the exact number of destroyed properties remains unconfirmed. The arson occurred as civilians fled the growing military presence in their community.

News - Pilan U