Farmers in Hsihseng Township, southern Shan State, say they are being required to pay the Pa-O National Organization (PNO) militia to clear landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) from their farmland, leaving many unable to safely resume agricultural activities.

The township has been heavily affected by fighting since January 2024, when clashes erupted between the Pa-O National Liberation Army (PNLA) and allied Karenni resistance forces on one side and military and PNO forces on the other. Residents say the conflict left farmland, plantations, and villages contaminated with landmines and explosive remnants of war.

A local woman told SHAN that many farmers continue to face danger while working their fields because large areas remain uncleared.

“There are still landmines in some of the cornfields. People are farming in areas where mines have already been removed, but the PNO will not come to clear the remaining areas unless they are paid. We have to pay 500,000 kyats for each site,” she said.

Residents said some clearance operations were carried out after junta and PNO forces regained control of the town. However, they described the efforts as limited and insufficient, leaving many hazardous areas untouched.

As a result, many farmers have been unable to return to their land.

“The mines are still there, especially in the cornfields. People are afraid to farm. Because the clearance fee is 500,000 kyats, many landowners cannot afford it and are forced to leave their fields unused,” the woman added.

The continued presence of landmines has further strained livelihoods in a community already struggling with rising production costs, low crop prices, and fuel shortages.

Residents said several people have been killed or injured by landmines since displaced families began returning to the area in 2024. Most incidents have occurred on frequently used footpaths, grazing land, and agricultural fields.

The latest reported casualty occurred on April 5, when a woman in her 50s from Tabat Village Tract, in the Shwe Ta Gu area of Hsihseng Township, lost a leg after stepping on a landmine while gathering wild vegetables near Tabat Creek.

Landmine contamination remains a major obstacle to recovery across parts of southern Shan State, where residents continue to face serious risks while attempting to rebuild their lives and livelihoods after years of conflict.