SENG PHOO — A Shan ethnic armed organization will help citizens living in remote villages during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the support of the government, the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA) will provide food and personal protective equipment (PPEs) to villagers in need during a lockdown in place in the country until the end of June.  

Lt-Col Sao Oum Khur, RCSS/SSA spokesperson, told SHAN the government, Burma Army and Shan State Civic Food Supporting Committee are helping them provide “food ration assistance to local people who are struggling for food.”

He says his group has been given supplies to help villagers three times in the last few weeks. The government donated on May 26, Burma Army’s Eastern Military Command assisted on June 4 and Shan State Civic Food Supporting Committee, a civil society organization, provided supplies on Monday.

Sao Oum Khur says they have 300 bags of rice and cooking oil to give away to those who need it. The government and Burma Army gave them face masks, hand sanitizers and other disinfectants.

Sao Oum Khur says he’s happy the government and Burma Army is helping his group by donating the supplies they can redistribute to those in need.

Yet, while the Burma Army is helping the RCSS/SSA, its soldiers and a Border Guard Force attacked a RCSS/SSA military camp in Ponpakyin sub-township in eastern Shan State on June 3.

Sao Oum Khur downplayed the incident. He says it wasn’t a big clash and thinks it was just a “misunderstanding.”

Dr Aung Than Maung, Shan State minister of Bamar Ethnic Affairs met with Sao Oum Khur and Nang San Phoung, in charge of RCSS/SSA’s Taunggyi liaison office, to donate the assistance.

The government and Burma Army also donated PPEs to the Pa-O National Organization, a militia force, and the Pa-O National Liberation Organization.

In April, the Burma Army LIB-153 attacked RCSS/SSA medics who were educating villagers about COVID-19 and giving PPEs in Mongpan Township, located in southern Shan State.