Nang Noung Noung —Soldiers from the armed wing of the Palaung State Liberation Front (PSLA), the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), have forced the closure of many of the schools in Namtu Township, which the military regime reopened earlier this month.

“Children will lose their education after the schools were closed,” a 50-year-old father, speaking on condition of anonymity, told SHAN. Some can afford to send their children to the town, but many cannot and rely on schools in villages in the township in Kyaukme District, he explained.

On 9 June, Ta'ang soldiers closed primary, middle and high schools in Hseng Khao, Wan Jarm, Nar Hsai and Pang Kheam villages, affecting 300 students.

“They closed the schools because they do not accept the government's education system and do not allow teachers who didn't join the Civil Disobedience Movement against the military regime to open schools in their area,” said a Namtu man, who preferred to remain unnamed.

In some cases, the TNLA soldiers came to the villages to close the schools in northern Shan State, but most of the time they called the village headmen and asked them to stop the classes.

SHAN tried several times to reach the PSLF/TNLA spokesperson for comment, but he did not respond.