August 18th, 2022
Nearly 200 Ta’aung Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who fled Naunglaing village in Lechar Township in southern Shan State to Mongnan village in Kyethi Township are unable to return to their village and in urgent need of food rations.
As a result of armed conflicts, the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/ SSA) are recruiting new members. In addition to the majority of men, more than 200 people from Naunglaing village are taking shelter in Mongnan village for nearly one month.
“We mainly provide necessary foodstuff for the IDPs as the armed conflicts may take a longer period of time. Men don’t dare to go home. We also donated blankets for them,” said a member of the Ta’aung Women’s Organization (TWO) which provided aid to the IDPs in Mongnan village.
Two Shan armed organizations namely, the RCSS and the Shan State Progressive Party (SSPP), are mainly active in the northern Shan State and Kyethi Township and Lechar Township which are located on the border of southern Shan State, according to locals and regional Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).
In addition, the military council force is collecting tolls at the gate on the road. The organization which is recruiting the new members in Naunglaing village is the RCSS, she added.
“The IDPs are Naunglaing village. That village is located in Lechar Township. However, they fled to Mongnan village in Kyethi Township. The IDPs said the RCSS is carrying out recruitments. There were clashes between two Shan armed groups four or five days before we went there. Some teachers are taking shelter at the school in Mongnan village as they don’t dare to stay there. Some villagers fled for their lives due to the fighting and forced recruitments. The IDPs are in urgent need of food,” she continued.
Most of the male IDPs taking shelter in Mongnan village are middle-aged males.
The IDPs are in need of basic foodstuff, medicine, beds, blankets and accommodation, the officials of the TWO said.
Till date since July, the RCSS has been carrying out military activities in Naunglaing village. Around 10 of more than 50 villagers abducted on July 23rd, remain in detention, according to locals.
Due to these circumstances, Naunglaing villagers are unable to return to their village, the villagers said.
The information officers of the RCSS/SSA are unavailable for comment on the recruitment and abduction of villagers in Lechar Township. The RCSS is carrying out the recruitment of new members in Ta’aung village.
Sent by the NMG