Lu Htet Naing, Narinjara News, 14 January 2025 

Clashes close to Shwe Thaung Yan Town in Ayeyarwady Region have diminished, but residents informed Narinjara News that the junta is ramping up its military activities in the area, causing numerous nearby villagers to flee. 

Residents report that individuals from villages located between Ma Gyi Zin and Shwe Thaung Yan Town, including Ma Gyi Zin Village, are fleeing the conflict and moving to Pathein and Yangon. 

A Shwe Thaung Yan resident, who is currently fleeing to Pathein, stated, "Individuals from villages like Ma Gyi Zin, Baw Mi, Tha Baw Kan, Ngwe Thaung Yan, Gyeik Latt, and Mee Laung Chai are fleeing the conflict. Affluent families from Shwe Thaung Yan and Chaung Thar have relocated to Yangon, while financially struggling individuals are looking for safety in Pathein or surrounding areas. 

Displaced individuals from the area around Shwe Thaung Yan Town are seeking refuge with family, residing in monasteries, or leasing places to stay. 

In spite of the increasing turmoil, educational institutions and government facilities in Chaung Thar Town and Shwe Thaung Yan Town remain functional as normal. The junta has additionally instructed the relatives of its personnel to stay in their current locations and not move. 

A male inhabitant of Pathein stated, "Individuals are scared to remain since the junta is getting ready for defense in Shwe Thaung Yan and Chaung Thar. When the junta troops came, they seized all they could from the villages and towns, including extorting money through various means. Currently, they are inspecting and extorting money from displaced individuals in Chaung Thar and Pathein. The number of displaced individuals is increasing, but organized assistance is still lacking, making it difficult to gauge. I think there are thousands." 

In Chaung Thar Town, the junta is swiftly setting up a soccer field for helicopter landings. At the same time, nearby inhabitants state that howitzers have been stationed in Shwe Thaung Yan Town, and multiple tanks are traversing the region. 

Military sources also mentioned that the junta has stationed tanks in Wet Thay, Poe Laung, Kyu Taw, and Tha Pot Kan, bolstering Wet Thay with a significant number of troops due to worries about a possible assault on the Ta Bin Hmaw naval base. 

The junta troops have initiated an assault, utilizing the army, navy, and air force to reclaim Ma Gyi Zin village. Airstrikes are targeting neighboring villages, leading numerous residents to escape to Pathein and Thabaung Town. 

Furthermore, military sources indicated that, besides the withdrawal of junta troops from Ma Gyi Zin, 300 more junta soldiers have been deployed in Wet Thay village in Shwe Thaung Yan Township. 

On January 12, the Chief Minister of the Ayeyarwady Region and the Minister of Security and Border Affairs for Ayeyarwady Region toured Chaung Thar and Shwe Thaung Yan.