Over 100 ethnic Man Zi residents need food aids in Hseni Township in the northern Shan State after fleeing from the fighting between the Tatmadaw and the Northern Alliance on February 14 and 15.
Over 140 Man Zi people from 43 households in Wang Mum Village are taking shelter at a community hall in a monastery as they are unable to return home.
“The clashes are going on and off since February 14 so they are afraid to go home. They were taking shelter at Nam Sa Lap Hospital at first. It wasn’t convenient to stay there so we settled them at the monastery after getting the permission from the monk. We discussed with Kawng Kaw Group Administrator yesterday and asked the villagers to donate rice and vegetables. When we informed the township administrator yesterday, he donated a basket of eggs. We haven’t seen other organizations [making the donations]. Food and clothes are needed at the moment,” said Sai Sein Lu, State Hluttaw MP from Hseni Township Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD).
The fighting broke out between the Northern Alliance and the Tatmadaw’s 391st Light Infantry Battalion (LIB-391) from Hkamti, which is active in Hseni.
“According to military sources, we heard that the battalion was from Hkamti. We heard that the Tatmadaw has detained two members of the Northern Alliance, but they don’t have any outposts in Wang Mum Village. According to our estimation, the clashes won’t last long because it was a confrontation while the military columns were passing through [the area]. But, we are worried over the return of the Northern Alliance because two of its soldiers have been detained. Now is the time for the villagers to harvest the crops and plough the farmlands to plant new crops,” said Sai Sein Lu.
Although the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) and the Shan State Progress Party (SSPP) have been very active in this area, the Tatmadaw and the Northern Alliance have also become active in the area recently.
“Political issue should be solved with political means. I want to urge them not to solve with military method. We have been suffering from the war for over 70 years. There is no peace in the country because they are solving it with military method,” Sai Sein Lu added.
Wang Mum Village is located four miles inside Kawng Kaw Group in the north of the road between Hseni and Kutkai. Kawng Kaw Group is located 17 miles in the northeast of Hseni.
