Six residents, including the village head of Nyaung Pin Village in Hopong Township, southern Shan State, remain unaccounted for nearly two months after being arrested while opposing the confiscation of local land, according to residents.

The six were among 10 villagers detained on March 30 after residents protested efforts to evict more than 200 households from land they had occupied for decades. As of May 27, relatives and community members said they had received no information about the whereabouts or condition of the remaining detainees.

According to local sources, land brokers allegedly working with the Pa-O National Organization (PNO) militia began efforts in February to remove residents from Nyaung Pin Village after declaring more than 200 homes to be illegal settlements.

Residents alleged that the brokers were accompanied by police officers under the military administration and used armed threats to pressure villagers to leave their properties.

Ten villagers, led by the village head, opposed the eviction efforts and the alleged use of force. They were arrested on the night of March 30.

Four of the detainees were released about a week later, according to a local farmer. However, the remaining six have yet to return home.

“We have no information about the remaining six. No one dares to ask about their situation,” the farmer told SHAN. “I don’t know what has happened to them, but many people believe the chances of their release are low.”

Meanwhile, residents said military authorities and the PNO have ordered them to leave the village by the end of May.

Authorities have reportedly offered replacement plots in Phaya Phyu Village. However, residents said the land is insufficient and does not provide a viable solution for families who depend on farming for their livelihoods.

“We have no choice but to move because they have weapons and power over us,” a local woman said. “The land they are offering is only enough to build a house. We have to start over from nothing, and even building a small hut is difficult with current prices.”

Residents said the dispute is linked to more than 14,000 acres of land north of the Hopong–Loilem highway that was confiscated by the military in 1992.

Although the land was officially returned to residents in February 2015, villagers claim it never reached the original occupants. Instead, they allege that portions of the land were sold by individuals linked to the PNO. Residents further claim that the area is now being reclassified as military-owned land and is once again being taken from local communities.

As concerns grow over the fate of the six detainees, residents say they are also facing displacement and the loss of their homes, farmland, and livelihoods.