Around 1,000 displaced people staying in a monastery went back after being told clashes had ceased in their area.
A total of around 1,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) in northern Shan State’s Lashio and Namtu townships returned home on Friday.
The IDPs had been staying in Mansu monastery in Lashio, and came from five villages in Lashio’s Enai village tract and one village in Namtu. They had fled on October 29, following clashes between the Northern Alliance of ethnic armed groups and the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA).
“Our elders informed us that we could return home. They said there are no battles in our area. We are so worried about our fruits and vegetables in our farms,” one displaced villager told SHAN, adding that they “thank all respective organizations who helped us in the monastery.”
While those staying Mansu monastery were able to go back home, more than 300 villagers from Hsipaw’s Wan San village tract were displaced on Thursday to Tartay monastery, following more clashes between the RCSS/SSA and the Northern Alliance members.
More than 600 villagers from Ner Makhaw village tract in Hsipaw also arrived at an area monastery after battles broke out between the same groups on Friday.
The Northern Alliance has four member groups: the Arakan Army, the Kachin Independence Army, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army.
