Displaced civilians want to return home, like many others affected by the conflict in Mongkung Township, but they say they cannot because a Shan armed group remains in their village in southern Shan State.

“We want to return to our village so we can cultivate our tea plantations,” a woman from Huay Tway told SHAN. She and others uprooted by the fighting have been living in Mongkung town since 6 January, while the armed group remains in their village, where no new fighting has been reported.

Fighting between the Shan State Progress Party and the Restoration Council of Shan State has displaced over 3,000 people in the township.

According to volunteers, there are still about 1,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the town who’re staying in a camp or with relatives. Previous fighting has prevented many civilians from harvesting their rice and corn, leading to food shortages.

IDPs and locals in Mongkung feared that the town had been hit by fighting when an explosion took place at the General Administration Department office on Monday.”It was extremely loud and the ground shook,” said a local who asked that his name not be published. He said they couldn’t sleep for the rest of the night after the explosion took place around 10:30pm.

Another man, who wished to remain anonymous, said the regime had tightened security and there had been no fighting in the town. But on 11 January, town residents heard artillery fire, so they were worried that the explosion might lead to violence.