Residents of Ywangan Township in southern Shan State report being forced to cook and deliver meals to soldiers from the military regime and allied Pa-O National Organization (PNO) militia members stationed in their villages.

According to local sources, on January 7, military regime troops accompanied by PNO militia forces arrived in Ywangan and surrounding areas under the pretext of providing security for the regime-led election. Since then, the troops have taken up positions in village monasteries in Ngat Thauk, Kyauk Ngat, and Min Palaung.

A woman from Ywangan told SHAN that villagers are required to supply food to the soldiers on a rotating basis.

“The soldiers said they came to provide election security. There are about 20 of them in each village, and villagers have to take turns delivering meals. We had to provide food for three days,” she said.

Locals reported that, in addition to prepared meals, the troops also demand chickens from villagers for consumption.

“They don’t just take food parcels. They also demand chickens from the village. We have no choice but to give them,” another woman involved in food deliveries said. “Even though many of us struggle to eat regularly, we still have to provide rice and livestock to the soldiers.”

Ywangan Township was included in the second phase of the military regime’s election, held on January 11. Political parties contesting in the township included the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), the People’s Pioneer Party (PPP), the National Unity Party (NUP), and the Danu National Democracy Party (DNDP). According to reports, the DNDP won the constituency, which comprises 40 polling stations across wards and village tracts.

Since the 2021 military coup, Ywangan Township has remained heavily militarized, with the presence of junta troops, Pyu Saw Htee militias, the PNO militia, and multiple Danu armed groups, including the Danu People’s Liberation Army/Front (DPLA/DPLF) and the Danu State National Defence Army (DSNDA).

Residents say military operations in the area have repeatedly targeted civilians. On September 12, 2025, a military column of around 100 troops reportedly entered Kyauk Ngat village tract, interrogating and beating villagers on their way to their farms.

Locals say the military frequently conducts large-scale operations in Ywangan, citing fears of attacks by revolutionary groups. During these operations, residents are often arrested, assaulted, or forced to act as human shields.

“We are afraid whenever the army enters our villages. They arrest both women and men,” a local man from Ywangan told SHAN. “At the same time, we are also afraid of revolutionary forces, because villagers have been accused of being informants and arrested or killed.”

According to a statement released by the Shan Human Rights Foundation (SHRF) on October 16, 2025, military regime troops destroyed at least 60 houses and 90 rice granaries in Ywangan Township between late August and the end of September 2025. The damage was estimated at approximately 1.5 billion kyats.

Residents say the continued military presence, forced labor, and extraction of local resources have left communities exhausted and living in constant fear, with civilians bearing the brunt of ongoing conflict and militarization.