Burma-Myanmar: New clash between 2 ethnic rebel groups in Shan State forces villagers to flee
Ta’ang National Liberation Army soldiers stand guard outside a village in Mantong township in Shan state, Jan. 16, 2014.
Fresh fighting that broke out late last week between two armed ethnic groups in Kyaukme district of northern Myanmar’s Shan state has forced nearly 350 villagers from Hsipaw township, including 100 children, to flee to safety in a Buddhist monastery, said a member of Myanmar’s parliament who visited the refugees on Monday.
The residents of Man Lwe village are seeking shelter inside the Yadana Shwegu monastery following an armed clash that broke out late last week between the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA), said lawmaker Nang Moe.
“There are about 340 refugees, including 100 children and 18 people over 80 years old,” she told RFA’s Myanmar Service. “They are from more than 100 households.”
“All people from Man Lwe village have fled to Thibaw, and the school is closed,” she said.