The regime’s armed forces torched more houses in Nan Paw Lon, in the latest attack on the village in southern Shan State.

On Tuesday evening, 21 June, Burma Army (BA) soldiers who were staying there burnt three houses, although there was no fighting in the area, according to an officer from the Pekon People’s Defence Force (PDF), which is fighting the junta.

He said the soldiers stole valuable items such as food, tools, fertiliser and tractors before setting fire to the houses in the fourth arson attack in Nan Paw Lon.Since May, Karenni resistance groups have been fighting the regime in Loi Paw village tract, where the BA has set fire to many houses.

In mid-May, they burnt down all the houses in Soung Nan Khe and some in Loi Paw, Nan Paw Lon and Nan Sung four days later. On 26 May, BA attacked houses in Makhay Kham and on 25 May and 3 June in Lahe. The army also torched houses in Peinnae Kon and Nan Sung.

At least eighty houses were torched in the village tract in Pekon township and the soldiers looted houses that they didn’t burn. The residents are still unable to return to their villages.

According to the PDF officer, resistance groups attacked BA on 19 June when they looted people’s houses. He said the Pa-O National Organisation (PNO), now under the regime, was also responsible for the looting and took away the villagers’ property in three trucks after entering the area with BA soldiers.

”Our troops attacked them as they were looting the civilians’ houses. At least four PNO soldiers were killed and two wounded in the attack.”

The BA soldiers based on top of Loi Maku hill in the village tract haven’t retreated.