Conflicts in northern Shan State created thousands of new refugees

With the continuous clashes and unrests between Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA) and Myanmar's military forces in the LoiZay region, Tangyan Township in northern Shan State, thousands of local residents in the region are moving out of the area, SHAN report said.

Religious places and Buddhist temples in Tangyan were used as sheltering homes for the refugees. One of them is the largest center Wat Veluvan holding large groups of refugees. Other shelter homes include Shan, Ta'ang (Palaung) and Chinese. Chinese go to Chinese temples while the rest to Shan Buddhist temples.

According to Sai Kham Pan, a member of Veluvan temple's trust, military forces are right outside the temples guarding and preventing people from giving out donations or trying to extend help to the refugees inside, the report said. Original source: http://www.betweenonline.com/2013/04/09/conflicts-in-northern-shan-state-created-thousands-of-new-refugees/