The Shan State Progress Party and Ta’ang National Liberation Army clashed with Restoration Council of Shan State in Kyaukme Township on Wednesday, August 18.

A resident of Pan Kwan village, near where the violence occurred, told SHAN that due to heavy rain, the fighting between the ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) was light. He explained that the fighting between the groups in the area had been going on since August 11,and that one villager was wounded on August 17 and two homes damaged by shelling in Pan Kwan on the 16th.

According to a volunteer, in Kyaukme Township there were about 1,500 people displaced by the conflict. The source said some villagers affected by the violence in February are still unable to return home.

“It’s been five months since we fled the fighting. We want to return to our village, but we’re still afraid to go home because the EAOs are still in the area,” said a man living in Mong Ngor internally displaced persons (IDPs) camp in Kyaukme town, home to 600 people uprooted by the conflict.

According to the volunteer, 200 IDPs are staying in Nam Sawt school, Mong Tin village tract; 102 in Ywar Oo Buddhist monastery, Kyu Shaw village; 180 in Hu Suan Buddhist monastery, Hu Suan village; and 470 in Mong Ngor sub township.

The EAOs are ignoring efforts of local residents and community leaders to persuade them to engage in a peace dialogue to end the hostilities. With fighting still intense in the township, more villagers are expected to seek refuge at the IDP camps in the coming days.

In nearby Hsipaw Township, clashes between RCSS and SSPP have displaced 500 people near Namlan who lack food and clean drinking water.