Ta’ang civil society organizations have called on the Palaung State Liberation Front/Ta’ang National Liberation Army (PSLF/TNLA) to provide compensation to civilians affected by the explosion at an ammunition storage facility in Kaung Tat Village, Namkham Township, northern Shan State.
The explosion, which occurred on May 31 at a TNLA ammunition depot in Kaung Tat Village, caused extensive civilian casualties and widespread damage to homes.
A spokesperson for the Ta’ang Women’s Organization (TWO) stated: “Regarding the Kaung Tat Village incident, we would like to make two requests. First, since the area is under TNLA administration, the TNLA should provide support to the affected population. To put it directly, this concerns compensation. The TNLA needs to clearly explain how it will provide compensation and assistance to the people affected by this incident.”
The spokesperson also said that reconstruction efforts should be presented transparently, and that the TNLA should disclose the truth about the explosion, conduct a lawful investigation, and take appropriate action based on its findings.
IMNA attempted to contact TNLA spokesperson Lway Yay Oo by phone for comment but was unable to reach him.
According to figures compiled by TWO as of June 1, the explosion killed 55 people, including 30 males and 25 females, among them children. More than 80 people were reportedly injured.
A female resident of Kaung Tat Village said that the TNLA is continuing clearance and rescue operations at the blast site. Meanwhile, the Ta’ang State Council and local charitable organizations are carrying out relief efforts with donations from both domestic and international contributors.
“At the moment, most donations are food supplies. Some people are also donating clothing, but because there are so many affected people, the assistance is still insufficient. The Ta’ang State Council is working on both relief and reconstruction efforts. Charitable groups are collecting donations in villages and bringing aid here. People working abroad are also contributing funds. However, a tremendous amount of work remains to rebuild the community. Since it is now the rainy season, there is an urgent need for shelter and roofing materials.”
Local residents also reported that Chinese technicians and Chinese interpreters were among those killed in the explosion, although IMNA has not been able to independently verify those claims.
At present, civil society organizations have only been able to provide emergency assistance to residents of Kaung Tat Village. Due to the ongoing rainy season, securing adequate shelter and resettlement arrangements remains a major challenge.
Ta’ang civil society organizations have also appealed to international organizations and foreign embassies to provide the assistance needed for relief and reconstruction, citing the extensive damage caused by the explosion in Kaung Tat Village.
