Only six of the 12 villagers arrested in Nyaung Pin Village, Hopong Township, southern Shan State, after protesting land confiscations have been released, despite residents signing relocation agreements under pressure, according to local sources.

The arrests followed an incident on the night of March 30, when land brokers reportedly affiliated with the Pa-O National Organization (PNO), accompanied by junta troops, police, and General Administration Department (GAD) officials, arrived with bulldozers to demolish homes. Villagers gathered to protest the destruction of their properties.

Residents said authorities later informed them that all detainees would be released only if the community agreed to vacate the village. Although villagers signed the documents under duress, only half of those detained have so far been freed.

“They are putting intense pressure on us. We had no choice but to agree to move. Even though we signed, they only released six people. The rest are still being held. The law is not on the side of the people, and there are no leaders left for us to rely on. People are terrified of those with guns. Since the power is in their hands, they do as they please,” a local man from Hopong told SHAN.

Local sources are calling for the immediate release of the remaining six detainees, warning that the situation has left families vulnerable and without support as forced relocations continue.

Nyaung Pin Village is home to more than 200 households, many of whom are now leaving their homes with no clear destination, facing growing uncertainty and hardship.

“We have lived on this land for over 30 years and built our lives here. Now we have gone from having homes and gardens to being homeless. If the brokers knew this was military-owned land, why did they lie and sell it to the people? They are now seizing the same land and forcing us out. Our lives are destroyed,” a local woman said.

Residents trace the origins of the dispute to 1992, when the military confiscated nearly 20,000 acres along the Hopong–Loilem highway. In 2015, the land was reportedly transferred to the PNO with instructions to return it to the original owners. However, locals allege that it was instead subdivided and sold through brokers.

Throughout 2025, authorities issued multiple eviction notices affecting more than 200 households in Myo Oo Ward and Naung Taung Village, culminating in the current demolitions, arrests, and forced displacement.

Residents say the ongoing detentions and evictions have deepened fear in the community, as families face both the loss of their homes and the continued detention of their relatives.