Junta troops and allied Pa-O National Organization (PNO) militia entered a village in western Pekon (Phekhon) Township, southern Shan State, and burned more than 30 houses without provocation.

Around 4:00 am on October 13, junta and PNO troops suddenly arrived at Bawyan Village in Hkawngei Village Tract and set houses on fire, a Phekhon Shan Youth Network (PSYN) official told Shan Herald.

“Early this morning, over 30 houses were burned down in Bawyan Village, and junta troops are still there,” he reported.

Clashes broke out on October 11 between the Karenni resistance coalition and junta troops advancing toward Bawyan Village in western Pekon Township. Two days later, junta and PNO troops set the village on fire.

Bawyan Village has roughly 200 houses and around 1,000 residents. Locals have been fleeing since junta and PNO troops first arrived in the area on October 11.

“Ever since the soldiers arrived near the village, most residents have taken refuge in nearby communities, leaving only a few men behind to stay as guards,” said the PSYN official.

Around 4,000 people have already been evacuated as junta and PNO troops move between villages in Pekon and Pinlaung townships in southern Shan State and the border area with Karenni State.

On October 9 and 10, junta and PNO troops set fire to houses in Salong (north) Village, Pekon Township, near the Pinlaung Township border.