On condition of anonymity, a local resident said the four residents of Pang Kut Village under Pang Hsawt Village Group were detained by the RCSS/SSA on July 31 while they were on their way back from shopping at Man San Market.

“All of them are local villagers. A girl and four men went to Man San Market. They go to this market every week because it’s only opened once a week. They were arrested on their way back. No reason has been given for their arrest. The RCSS just took them. They still haven’t been released yet. They went [to the market] with three motorcycles. The girl drove in the front so she was able to escape,” the local resident said.

The local resident continued that the RCSS/SSA detained local villagers in the past.

“Five people were detained the last time. We reported them because we want them to release the detained people. I don’t know whether they detain the [four men] because they were dissatisfied with us for reporting them,” the local resident continued.

The RCSS/SSA detained two residents of Pang Kut Village on July 29 and released them after asking them about the Palaung State Liberation Front/Ta’ang National Liberation Army (PSLF/TNLA), according to local residents.

Network Media Group has been unable to contact RCSS/SSA officials to inquire about this issue.

Local residents said they are worried as these incidents has been occurring frequently and they do not know who they can seek help from.

“After the village elders informed respective administrators, the administrators called them (the RCSS/SSA) to release the villages. Even though we pleaded with them, they (detained residents) haven’t been released yet,” said the local resident.

Military tension is often high between armed organizations in the northern Shan State. Local residents said they are unable to travel freely to make a living since the local residents have not only been frequently detained by the armed organizations, but also been threatened for their lives.