The Pa-O National Organization (PNO), a militia aligned with Myanmar’s military council, has imposed a ban on boat travel and fishing in the Samkar area of Nyaungshwe Township, southern Shan State, further exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation, according to local residents.

Since June 1, the PNO has prohibited boats from operating between Thar Yar Kone village and the broader Samkar region. Fishing has also been banned in Samkar Inn and surrounding villages along the lake’s western shore.

“They said the restriction would only last from June 1 to 15, but it’s still in place,” said one resident. “We’re not even allowed to fish. It’s become unbearable, especially when someone falls critically ill, we can’t reach Taunggyi Hospital in time.”

With boat access cut off, residents in western Samkar are now forced to rely on difficult overland routes via Nam Pan and Naung Ta Yar villages. These challenges are compounded by the PNO’s growing military presence, with militia forces stationed along the lake’s western bank and imposing tight restrictions on civilian movement.

“For the past four months, we’ve been forced to cook one meal a day for the militia,” said a local woman. “Every morning at 10 a.m., we have to deliver rice to them. In the evening, they prepare their own food.”

The crisis is being worsened by seasonal flooding, which has devastated local agriculture. Crops including rice, tomatoes, and corn have been submerged. “I lost over 10 acres of maize,” the woman said. “In Thar Yar Kone alone, dozens of acres are underwater. We just want the war to end so we can return to our livelihoods.”

Meanwhile, in neighboring Hsihseng Township, the PNO has been restricting the movement of more than 800 displaced people from Pinlaung Township since early May. The group remains stranded amid ongoing conflict.

The PNO, granted administrative authority over Hopong, Hsihseng, and Pinlaung townships by the junta, is actively fighting alongside regime forces against anti-coup resistance groups in Taunggyi District.