More than 1,000 people fled from rural areas of Mogok Township to the town by the same name in Mandalay Region after fighting broke out this week between the Burma Army and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA).  

The two forces clashed in Mogok on the evening of November 24, and villagers in the area—mostly women, children, and the elderly—began to leave the following day.

The internally displaced persons (IDPs) now in Mogok town are from the villages of Kyauk Wah, Shan Konsan, Lisu Konsan, Chaung Gyi and Layber villages, and are staying in at least five churches, public halls, and monasteries, as well as with relatives.

“There are more than 1,000 IDPs. They fled from their villages after clashes. They are afraid of further clashes in their area,” Ah Lu, deputy chairperson of Mandalay’s Lisu Literature and Culture Association, told SHAN.

He added that the IDPs’ basic needs are being met by private donors, and that government officials visited them on Friday, with health staff handing out face masks and hand sanitizer amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.  

Mogok locals told SHAN said that military columns were still present around the IDPs’ villages.  

TNLA spokesperson Maj Tar Aik Kyaw confirmed that fighting broke out on November 24, but said that there had not been further clashes with government troops since that day.

“We had only one clash on that day. It lasted 15 minutes. People do not need to worry. It was just a surprise clash,” he said.

Local people said that both armies fired heavy weapons in the battle, and that the sound of gunshots could be heard in Mogok town.

It was the second clash between the Burmese military and the TNLA in Mogok this month, with previous fighting taking place on November 19.