Internally displaced persons (IDPs) returning to villages in the Samkar region of Yawnghwe (Nyaungshwe) Township, southern Shan State, are reportedly being forced to pay a monthly fee of 500,000 kyats (approximately USD 128) per household to the Pa-O National Organization (PNO) militia, according to local residents.

More than 2,000 villagers from six villages in Yawnghwe Township were displaced following heavy artillery attacks by military commission forces in early February 2025. Although some residents began returning to the Samkar area in August 2025, they now face what locals describe as systematic extortion.

A resident from Samkar told SHAN that the financial burden has become unbearable for many families.

“Even though we’ve returned, things are not okay. We’ve had to pay 500,000 kyats every month for the past eight months. If we don’t have the money, we have to borrow it from others and end up in deep debt. It’s even worse for day laborers. Between this payment and the rising cost of goods, we barely have enough left for food.”

According to the resident, the PNO militia has warned that those who fail to make the payments could be forcibly recruited and sent to the front lines.

A similar situation has reportedly emerged in Nantoke Village in Pang Laung (Pinlaung) Township, where returning displaced families are also required to pay 500,000 kyats per month. Residents say the militia has threatened to seal and confiscate the homes of those who refuse to return or fail to pay the fee.

“Only those who have money are able to return, because we have to pay 500,000 kyats to the PNO every month. They threaten to seal the houses of IDPs who have not returned yet. After paying this for over a year, people simply can’t cope anymore,” another resident said.

Due to these threats and ongoing financial pressure, many displaced families from Nantoke have chosen not to return to their villages. Instead, they continue to live in Pang Laung town or in the Inle region, where they rent temporary housing despite the additional financial burden.

The displacement in Nantoke Village dates back to May 2024, when intense clashes broke out between military commission and PNO joint forces and revolutionary groups in the area. Residents said indiscriminate heavy artillery shelling, drone bombings, and the burning of homes by military forces forced around 2,000 people to flee.