A man who fled conflict and sought refuge in the Inle Lake region of Southern Shan State has gone missing after returning to his hometown in Pai Khun (Pekon) Township to harvest corn to support his family.

On December 11, 24-year-old Ko Aung Ko Ko, also known as Phoe Ni, traveled from the Inle region back to Nawng Lai Village in Pai Khun Township to harvest corn. After completing the work, he returned on December 18 to Kone Thar Village in the Samkar Village Tract of the Inle region, where he stayed overnight at his aunt’s home.

The following morning, on December 19, Ko Aung Ko Ko set out to return to the IDP site where his wife and two children are currently staying. He disappeared during the journey and has not been seen as of December 23.

“He has been missing for about four days now, and we haven’t been able to contact him at all. We are extremely worried that something may have happened to him,” a family member told the Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN). “He went to Pai Khun with friends, but they said he was alone when he returned. We are just praying that he is safe.”

Ko Aung Ko Ko and his family are among thousands displaced to the Inle region on November 11, 2023, following heavy fighting along the Shan–Karenni border involving junta forces, the Pa-O National Organization (PNO) militia, and allied revolutionary groups.

Since their displacement, the family has been unable to return home permanently. According to relatives, Ko Aung Ko Ko took the risk of returning briefly to his village solely to harvest crops to support his family’s livelihood.

After the family posted a missing-person notice on social media, they received a phone call from an unidentified man who claimed that Ko Aung Ko Ko was being held at Meiktila Township Police Station. The caller demanded 700,000 kyats (approximately USD 180) to “negotiate” his release.

“The caller said he was a ‘Major’ and told us we could come to Meiktila and negotiate for 700,000 kyats,” a female relative said. “But we are very worried this may be a scam, so we are trying to verify the information before doing anything.”

The disappearance comes amid growing concern over missing persons in Southern Shan State. In a separate case, 28-year-old Ko Ye Thiha Aung, a resident of Kyaung Gyi Su Ward in Taunggyi, has been missing since October 12 after telling his family he was going out briefly. More than two months later, his whereabouts remain unknown.