The Pa-O National Organization (PNO) people’s militia, operating under the military council in Hsihseng Township, Southern Shan State’s Pa-O Self-Administered Zone, has burned down six houses in Tapuhtoe village, according to Khun Rain Yan, an official from the Pa-O National Liberation Army (PNLA) Information Department. The arson attacks began on the evening of June 12 and continued until the evening of June 13, resulting in the complete destruction of six homes. The PNO forces had occupied the village for over four months before forcibly evicting the residents on June 7.
The PNO militia, acting under the military council’s authority, ordered more than 6,000 residents from two village tracts in Hsihseng Township to evacuate their homes by June 15. This forced evacuation has affected multiple villages, including Tapuhtoe, Kongtoe, Lwai Ngon, Naung Bo, and Pinset villages from the Naung Kyaw village tract, as well as six Naung Htaw villages and the Kalarlam village from the Taung Shae village tract. The displacement has occurred during the rainy season when villagers should be engaged in agricultural activities, causing severe disruption to their livelihoods and creating significant hardships for the affected communities.
The military council and its affiliated PNO forces have intensified their campaign of village burnings and have escalated arrests, torture, and killings of civilians in Hsihseng Township. Displaced residents are forced to hide in forests, facing severe challenges related to shelter, food, and water. The PNLA spokesperson emphasized that the affected Pa-O civilians urgently need assistance from both domestic and international organizations, as they struggle with basic necessities while living in hiding. The situation continues to deteriorate as military-aligned forces maintain their aggressive operations against civilian populations in the region.
