Artillery fire has been heard almost daily around Hsawngpyaung Village in Pinlaung Township, southern Shan State, prompting locals to fear renewed fighting.
In the first week of May, around 300 troops from the junta and the Pa-O National Organisation arrived in Hsawngpyaung as reinforcements. Since then, artillery fire has been heard almost daily in nearby border areas between Shan State and Karenni State, according to locals.
Villagers in Hsawngpyaung fear that the artillery thuds may signal a resurgence of fighting and renewed clashes.
“Artillery fire is heard day and night. At times, the heavy weapons are so loud that the ground itself seems to shake. There have been past instances where fighting broke out during the rainy season—the same farming season as now. We hope that does not happen again this year. If fighting resumes, we would have nowhere to run and nothing to eat,” a Hsawngpyaung village woman said.
Currently, locals are forced to take turns delivering food daily to junta and PNO troops stationed in the village.
A local man from Hsawngpyaung, who is monitoring the military situation in the area, said that as fighting along the Shan–Karenni border may intensify, residents should remain vigilant and closely follow military developments.
“At this time, the public needs to remain vigilant for their own safety. No armed group can be relied upon to provide protection. Given the current situation in the region, there is a risk that fighting could intensify again following the junta’s deployment of reinforcements. For this reason, people are urged to stay alert and not let their guard down,” he told Shan Herald.
Currently, the junta has set up checkpoints in Hsawngpyaung and nearby areas, reportedly tightening checks on residents under the pretext of security reasons.
The junta has also warned Hsawngpyaung villagers not to go out after 7:00 p.m. and to return early from their terrace farms. At night, junta forces and PNO troops conduct joint patrols in the village and surrounding areas.
In January 2024, heavy clashes between the junta–PNO coalition and resistance forces took place in Hsawngpyaung and nearby areas, displacing more than 1,000 residents.
Locals report that only around 60 percent of the houses, monasteries, and schools damaged during the clashes have been rebuilt so far.
