More than 6,000 residents in Hsihseng Township, southern Shan State, are being forced to relocate following orders issued by the Pa-O National Organization (PNO), a militia aligned with Myanmar’s military council.

According to local sources, the PNO has distributed eviction notices to villages in several tracts, Tapu Hto, Kawnghto, Loi Ngun, Naung Bo, and Pinset in Nawngkyaw tract; six villages in Nawng Htaung tract; and Kalarlan in Taungshey tract. The relocation deadline is set for June 15.

PNO and military council troops are reportedly stationed along the Hsihseng–Nawng Htaw Union Road, restricting the movement of residents and exercising tight control over the area.

“They’re not allowing villagers to move freely. Military forces are stationed along the Union Road, limiting movement to between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.,” a local resident told SHAN News.

The PNO has allegedly warned villagers that it will not be responsible for the safety of those who fail to comply. Displaced residents have also been explicitly prohibited from seeking refuge in the mountains or at existing internally displaced persons (IDP) camps. Instead, they have been directed to relocate to the grounds of Mwe Taw Pagoda in Pagoda Phyu village.

“We’ve been hiding in the mountains, sleeping in tents. Life was already difficult after the oil station was destroyed and now we have no food,” said another Hsihseng resident.

The growing insecurity is further compounded by the confiscation of unregistered vehicles by security forces. Fearing arrest or the seizure of personal property, many villagers have resorted to fleeing on foot or using traditional bamboo stilts.

Khun Rainyan, Press and Information Officer of the Pa-O National Liberation Army (PNLA), condemned the PNO’s actions, describing them as an effort to dismantle resistance and uproot entire communities.

“They’re trying to sever the link between the people and the revolution. This is a deliberate attempt to destroy homes, livelihoods, and community bonds,” he said. “The PNO once came from the people, relied on their support, but now it’s betraying them.”

Local residents have echoed these sentiments, accusing the PNO, now effectively functioning as a military-aligned militia of prioritizing its political and economic ambitions over the welfare of its own communities.