Villagers in Pong Woe village tract of Kyaukme Township, northern Shan State, were reportedly detained, beaten, and interrogated by military junta troops following a clash between junta forces and the Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA), according to residents and an SSPP statement.

The fighting broke out on the afternoon of March 10, 2026, when a clash lasting more than an hour occurred between the two sides in the Pong Woe village tract.

Later that evening, at around 5:30 p.m., military troops reportedly entered Pong Woe village, gathered residents, and brought them to the local monastery for questioning. While some detainees were later released, residents say five villagers remain in military custody.

“Out of the more than ten people the military seized, some have returned, but five villagers are still being held. The village is in chaos right now. We even had to postpone the novitiation ceremony that was supposed to be held at the Pong Woe monastery because of the fighting,” a local woman told SHAN.

According to a statement issued by SSPP Info on the morning of March 12, the troops involved in the incident were from Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 506, based in Nam Lan. The statement said soldiers forced villagers to gather at the monastery along with their private vehicles while troops conducted house-to-house searches in the village.

The SSPP statement further alleged that detainees were subjected to severe mistreatment during interrogations, claiming that some villagers were beaten and that soldiers used knives to slash their backs while questioning them.

Military tensions between junta forces and SSPP/SSA troops remain high in the Kyaukme area. Residents say fear of renewed fighting has disrupted daily life in the village.

Due to the security situation, a novitiation ceremony and monastery dedication event scheduled to take place between March 14 and March 16 at Pong Woe monastery has been postponed indefinitely, according to residents.