Members of the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) are stationed in the IDPs camps in Mong Wee in Namkham Township in Muse District of Shan State and asking for rice from the IDPs during this week, a local man told the Shan News.
“Nearly 200 TNLA members entered the IDP camp. They are stationed in the camp. They have asked us to give five bags of rice. How do the people from the IDP camp give what they ask for,” a man said.
“Locals are worried about the clashes as the IDP camp is close to the military camp. The people are afraid of their fight if they can’t give five bags of rice. The people from this camp are daily wage earners. It is not easy for them to move to another place if fighting erupts,” he added.
Most of the people taking shelter in the IDP camp are Shan ethnics. They fled the clashes between the military council and the TNLA and between the TNLA and the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA) beyond 2016.
In late April, the TNLA extorted money between Muse and Nankham in Muse District of Shan State and stayed in the compound of the public housing.
It has been over ten months the military council has been carrying out the collection of taxes from vehicles running on Muse-Nankham road section, the collection of taxes by its members with motorcycles and staying in the compound of civilian houses.
The Shan News phoned Colonel Tar Aik Kyaw, Spokesperson of the TNLA several times to seek comment about the incident. However, no response was received.
Staying of armed force members in the villages and wards and staying with the public goes against the Geneva Call and amounts to committing war crimes.
Sent by Shan News