According to reports, a rally took place at Tabaung stadium in Kan Gyi Ward, Taunggyi City, Shan State, led by the militia unit (PNO/PNA) under the Military Council . The rally aimed to express their opposition towards the People's Defense Forces, KNDF and PDF, regarding the killings in Nam Nein village.
On March 15 at 9:00 am, a demonstration was held at Tabaung Stadium, led by the militia unit (PNO/PNA) under the Military Council. According to reports, the public was threatened that one person per household must attend the demonstration. The protest was directed towards the People's Defense Forces, KNDF, and PDF, regarding the killings in Nam Nein village.
"All incidents in Pin Pon, Taung Me Thin, Long Pyin, and Nam Nein villages are not caused by the Myanmar military. All these incidents are not caused by the PNA. These incidents were all started by the terrorist KNDF," said a monk from Pinlaung township.
According to the affiliates of the Military Council, the massacre that occurred on March 11 in Nam Nein village, which resulted in the deaths of 28 civilians, including three monks, was allegedly carried out by the KNDF and PDF.
A man from Taunggyi reported that the militia unit (PNO/PNA) under the Military Council instructed residents of the village to attend the demonstration, stating that one person per household must participate. The man also reported that failure to attend the demonstration would result in a fine of 50,000 kyats.
"In the southern villages, every household is required to send one person to the demonstration, whereas those from Naung Kar and Loi Kaung are reluctant to participate. If they choose not to attend, they are subjected to a penalty of 50,000 kyats per household," he said.
At the demonstration, protesters voiced their slogans, including "We don't need a media that conceals and distorts the truth," "We don't want a war of aggression in the Pa'O region," and "KNDF and terrorist PDF associates should withdraw from the Pa'O region as soon as possible."
A 20-year-old individual named Khun Shine (not his real name) claimed that the Military Council's decision to allow the Pa'O ethnic group to gather and protest the massacre in Nam Nein Village, Pinlaung Township was a delusion of race and religion.
"Our Pa'O people are not given enough credit for our intelligence. We have yet to shake off the chains of our slave mentality, and as young people, we are not granted the rights that we deserve. Even when we express our opinions, we are told not to meddle in adult affairs. Our people are still ensnared by the military's delusion of race and religion," he said.
Since February 24, approximately 6,000 local residents and 6 villages have been displaced due to ongoing clashes between Military Council troops, Pa'O militia PNA forces, and joint forces of the People's Defense Forces (PDF).
On March 14, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) released a statement announcing that over the past two years since the military coup, 3,124 people have been killed and 20,359 people have been arrested.
