Siege of Myanmar border town makes misery for schoolchildren
Junta and opposition forces are fighting over control of a lucrative trade route into Thailand, with shells and aerial attacks forcing children to flee.
Kyondoe town has for two months seen fierce fighting between forces attempting to capture highway access to a Thai border crossing 50km to the east.
A teacher who works in Kyondoe, in the eastern state of Karen, said she fled her school on Wednesday after hearing the sound of nearby shelling.
'I have no idea which side is shooting. It scares us a lot,' she said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
'Some residents still send their children to schools. If they hear more fighting sounds, artillery sounds, plane sounds, they come to the schools to pick up their children,' she said.
'I have to come to serve my duty although I'm really scared.'
A military officer said fighters from anti-coup and ethnic armed organisations were pounding Kyondoe and another town.
'We are also sorry for the residents and school children,' the officer added. 'We will try our best to protect the towns.'
'I'm really sick of fleeing. My children can't go to school because of fighting,' said one resident who has been forced to quit Kyondoe to shelter in a nearby monastery.
'I went back to the town a few days ago as I heard there was less fighting. Soon after we arrived, we had to flee again,' they said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
'We have no place to hide,' said another teacher. — AFP
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