About half of the population has fled because of the fighting in Palatwa Township

Chin State Aid workers said that more than 50,000 people have fled their homes due to fighting between the Military Council Army and the Rakhine Army (AA) in Palatwa Township, a township with a population of 100,000 in the south. It is also said that they are currently in need of shelter and food emergency assistance for these refugees.

Among those fleeing, most of them are local people from Paletwa town and nearby villages, and they have not been able to return to their homes until today, said a person helping war refugees who did not want to be named for security reasons.

"It's not just food. Warm blankets to withstand the cold, We will need shelter. Those who are on the Indian side also know that the locals and civil society organizations are helping. But we still don't know how much the population is."

He said that war victims also need medical assistance.

Chin State It is said that those who fled due to the fighting in Palatwa Township in 2018 are now fleeing again due to the recent fighting.

"Due to the fighting, the people of Palewa have suffered human rights violations and are in dire need of humanitarian assistance."

When the fighting broke out, family members who were separated because they had to flee immediately with only one piece of clothing were still unable to contact each other because their phone lines had been cut, said a local who is helping war-affected refugees, who did not want to be named for security reasons.

"Now, some families are fighting even among themselves. The sound of bullets rained down like rain, and at that time they were scattered. There are families who are separated and cannot contact each other. I have to say, they go from where they think they can go, so they become each other."

The Rakhine Army (AA) announced on January 14 that it had captured the entire Palatwa region, which is militarily important in Chin State.

After that announcement, on January 15, the military council army bombarded Kye Lai village in Paletwa Township, killing four civilians, including a child, and injuring three others, according to local residents.

Until now, the war refugees have not dared to return home due to the fear of the military council's air force and heavy weapons, said Salai Myothak, an official of the Palewa Self-Governing District Council, which was formed by local people after the coup, told RFA.

"In the current situation, I think there will be fewer people who return to the city. My analysis is that the air can come at any time. Rather than living in the city, Staying away from war will be safe. The flow of goods is in a position where it can be interrupted. How much will it cut? I don't know when I'll be back. The position of our Palatwa is on the city, Living in Palatwa, there are seventy people who can face famine right now. It can be considered that it is about 80 percent.”

In the entire Palewa Township, the communication phone line, It is difficult for RFA to investigate the details of the current situation in the region due to the interruption of internet lines.

As a result of the fighting, Palatwa residents have experienced human rights violations and are in dire need of humanitarian aid, said Salay Thera, project manager of the Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO).

"There are also outside of Chin State, Some people live in the forest in Chin State. And as of now, I have not received any humanitarian aid. We will need support very much.”

RFA reached out to U Aung Cho, Chin State Spokesperson State Secretary of the Military Council, to inquire about these issues in detail, but he did not answer the phone.

Since last November 13, there have been fierce battles between the Rakhine Army (AA) and the Military Council Army in Paletwa Townships of Rakhine State and Chin State.

The Rakhine Army (AA) attacked Taroon Ai in Paletwa Township. don't miss clean hand Military council army camp, including strategic camps such as Mawa, etc. All 24 small camps were captured on January 13th, and the military council camps in the northern townships of Rakhine State are currently being attacked.

During this operation, the Air Force of the Military Council, big weapon 2023 in Rakhine State, including Paletwa Township in Chin State, due to small arms. From November 13 to December 13, 81 civilians were killed and 260 injured, the Rakhine Army's ULA announced yesterday.

Minangkabau airport closes again after Mt. Marapi erupts

Jakarta - Indonesia's Transportation Ministry on Friday temporarily closed Minangkabau International Airport in Padang, West Sumatra, after Mount Marapi erupted and spewed volcanic ash.

"The eruption of Mt. Marapi is dynamic, so we will continue to monitor this situation, and coordinate intensively with relevant stakeholders in terms of ensuring aspects of safety, security, and flight comfortability," Director General of Air Transportation at the ministry M. Kristi Endah Murni informed here on Friday.

She said that Mt. Marapi on Friday released volcanic ash again, as determined from a test conducted by the Airport Authority Office Region VI in Padang.

Minangkabau International Airport's closure was announced on Friday through a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM). The notice, No. B0115/24 NOTAMN, stated that the airport would remain closed from 2:15 p.m. local time until further notice.

According to the volcanic eruption notice issued by the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation (PVMBG), Mount Marapi spewed an ash column reaching 500 meters above the peak, or 3,391 m above sea level.

The thick ash column was observed to be gray and moving toward the southwest.

Murni said that her side, through the Airport Authority Region VI Padang, will continue to monitor and observe the development on the field at 30-minute to 1-hour intervals at several points around the airport.

She added that the airport has been temporarily closed several times due to volcanic activity at Mount Marapi.

"I hope that the public, especially prospective passengers, can understand this force majeure situation. We received information that there are 16 flights potentially affected by the airport closure, (and) we continue to update this," she said.