Man Loses Leg in Landmine Explosion While Harvesting Sugarcane in Nawngkhio

March 3

A local man from Yar Pyin Village, Nawngkhio Township, northern Shan State, lost a leg after stepping on a landmine while harvesting sugarcane.

On February 18, at approximately 12:30 p.m., 38-year-old U Aung Naing Win triggered a landmine while working in a sugarcane field about 2.5 miles from his village.

“It was a landmine. He was with someone else when it happened, but only he was hit,” his wife told the Ta’ang Women’s Organization (TWO). “The incident occurred near the fence of the sugarcane plantation. Someone else had already been killed by a mine in this same area before.”

The field where the explosion occurred had previously been a frontline where the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), PDF, and Terror Military Council forces were stationed during earlier clashes. It remains unclear which armed group planted the mine.

As a result of the blast, U Aung Naing Win’s (U Aung Naing Htwe’s) left leg was amputated at the thigh, and his right leg sustained severe injuries. He is currently receiving medical treatment at Pyin Oo Lwin Hospital, where his family is reportedly struggling to cover the medical expenses.