SENG PHOO - Villagers in Namtu Township, northern Shan State, were displaced by clashes between the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA) and several member groups of the Northern Alliance this Wednesday morning, December 9.

A villager from Ner Kyel, who wished to remain anonymous, reported hearing the sounds of gunfire. Interviewed when the fighting was happening, the source told SHAN some fled to Man San village but others remain in Ner Kyel. Villagers from Piang Lon and Ner Kyel have also been displaced by the hostilities.

Armed groups sent reinforcements a few days ago. The Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) stayed at Ner Kyel, and Kon Kyaung on Tuesday night, December 8, villagers told SHAN.

“Now it’s the harvest time. They should consider the needs of the people before they start fighting. And they should do it away from the villages,” a displaced villager who sought shelter in Namtu town, told SHAN.

The Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA) fought alongside the TNLA against RCSS/SSA troops in Namtu Township. SSPP/SSA also clashed with RCSS/SSA in Hsipaw Township on Saturday, December 5. And TNLA and RCSS/SSA fought in Namtu on Monday, December 7.

SHAN reached out to SSPP/SSA and RCSS/SSA for comments but no-one responded.

RCSS/SSA is a signatory to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA). None of the Northern Alliance member groups signed the NCA. But the SSPP/SSA signed a bilateral ceasefire in 2012.

The SSPP/SSA and the TNLA are also members of the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee (FPNCC).