The junta-aligned militia group, the Pa-O National Organisation (PNO) is collecting more tax from vehicle owners in Hopong Township in Shan State, which it controls.

Since the second week of December, PNO members have ramped up tax collection from households in Hopong Town and the villages of Samkar and Namhkok in Hopong Township, which is part of Taunggyi District, according to a 40-year-old Hopong Town resident.

He said to SHAN: “The PNO troops primarily collect taxes from the Pa-O ethnic people, while tax collection from other ethnic groups depends on specific circumstances. In some areas of Hopong Town and nearby villages, including Samkar, the PNO imposes taxes on vehicle owners. Privately-owned cars in the villages are taxed at 30,000 MMK, whereas in the town area, the tax is 50,000 MMK.”

He explained that Hopong Town residents are frustrated by the vehicle tax, which amounts to 50,000 MMK per car or tractor and 100,000 MMK per 12-wheel truck for those living in the town. He added that this is not the first time the PNO has collected taxes. Previously, it has frequently demanded taxes under various pretexts.

He said: “People are already struggling to make a living, and these taxes only add to their burden. The PNO troops collect taxes solely for their own benefit, showing no empathy for the people. It feels like they are bullying us. They impose taxes on cars regardless of whether they are legally registered or not. In the past, they also collected 30,000 MMK from each household for a conscription fund.”

The PNO has been collecting taxes and levies from people for various reasons in the areas where it is operating, including the townships of Hopong, Hsihseng, Nyaungshwe, and Panglong (ပၢင်လွင်း).

A 35-year-old resident of Hsihseng Town said: “These days, the PNO is imposing taxes under various pretexts. People who are already struggling with economic hardships are enduring even greater difficulties due to these taxes. Even those without cars or tractors are being forced to pay taxes for the conscription fund.”

He added that as well as collecting vehicle taxes and money to support its troops, the PNO has also been gathering data on youths living in the areas it controls in preparation for conscription drives that will conscript youths from those areas into the PNO. This has forced many youths to leave PNO controlled areas.

The PNO has been fighting alongside the junta in the townships of Panglong, Hsihseng, and Paikhun, where it has been burning down houses and detaining residents and forcing them to work as porters.

Previously, during the second week of November, also in Taunggyi District, Shan State, PNO troops forcibly entered a house in Nyaungshwe Township, threatened the occupants and robbed their valuables.

The PNO also owns businesses in various sectors, including hotels, steel, cement, jade mining, rubies and jewellery, gold and antimony mining, and real estate.