Local residents report that thousands of civilians from more than twenty villages along the border of Kani and Budalin townships have been forced to flee as military vessels move up the upper Chindwin River in Sagaing Region. The military convoy, which departed from Monywa Port and Alun Military Port around 5 AM on July 14, consists of military vessels and 33 flat-bottomed boats carrying weapons and supplies heading upstream along the Chindwin River.
Currently, residents are evacuating from numerous villages in both Budalin and Kani townships. In Budalin Township, affected villages include Salun, Kwinchan, Laymye, Wonbo, Shwesaye, Budalin, Thayakone, and Chaungwa Gyi. In Kani Township, evacuees are fleeing from Natpoe, Thyaytaw, Ohnpinseik, Eaintaung, Minto, Tharakpin, Choing, Dinpauk, Wetchaunglay, Mutaw, Natgyi, Ngaphyat, Panzein, and Wetchaung Gyi villages. These communities are seeking safety in areas away from the military movement.
The military council’s Northern Command is providing air cover for the vessels and cargo boats with helicopter gunships. Around 10 AM, they conducted aerial bombardment near Mutaw village. A local People’s Defense Force leader stated that civilians are living in fear due to the military’s waterborne operations, which have now reached as far as Shwesaye village. The military’s presence and movements continue to displace local communities as they advance upstream along the Chindwin River.
