The Junta and its allied militia group, the Pa-O National Organization (PNO), attempted to bribe the Shan State Progress Party (SSPP) and the United Wa State Army (UWSA),

offer a payment of MMK 600 million to stop all arms sales to with the resistance, a source close to the Junta said.

The source claimed that this offer was made during a meeting involving the Junta, PNO, SSPP and UWSA. The meeting took place in Phalia village, Mongpying village tract, Hopong township, Pa-O Self-Administered Zone in southern Shan State on June 24, and the Junta offered a substantial sum of cash as a bribe to propose halting weapon sales to resistance forces.

“Senior officials were not directly involved in the negotiations. The Junta and PNO had officers at a slightly higher level, while SSPP and UWSA were represented by battalion commanders. The Junta aimed to negotiate through bribery to prevent weapons from reaching the resistance forces”, the source reported.

After UWSA and SSPP turned down the Junta's initial offer at the meeting, the Junta is now preparing a second offer, believing that the first rejection was due to the amount of money being insufficient.

To secure the 600 million MMK to bribe, the Junta and PNO collected funds from the public in several villages across Hsihseng and Pinlaung townships under various pretexts. Fund collecting efforts have also commenced in Hopong now, with a target of raising 1 billion MMK.

Generally each household is required to contribute 30,000 MMK. Pa-O residents fear that these funds may be embezzled by senior PNO officers, if UWSA and SSPP reject the offer again in the second round of negotiations.

In the Pa-O Self-Administered Zone, the Junta and PNO are forcibly recruiting new soldiers and collecting tolls from locals under the pretext of military expenses, causing increasing hardships for the local population in their daily lives.