Child Blinded by Grenade Blast in Hsipaw Needs Assistance for Medical Expenses

An 11-year-old child was blinded in one eye due to a grenade explosion that occurred at 9:30 a.m. on March 23, 2025, in Pane Sai Village, Moe Kaung Village Tract, Hsipaw Township, an area controlled by the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (PSLF/TNLA).

A resident told TWO that the child, Sai Lin Lau, lost his right eye in the incident.

“The children were at school, and a girl found a bomb on the side of the road and picked it up. When she went to Sai Lin Lau, it exploded when it was thrown. It hit him, hitting him in the eye. When he went to the clinic, he lost his right eye and could not be treated there. The children did not know anything; they didn’t know what the bomb was. The bomb looked like a bulb and was not very powerful. The other children were not hurt,” the resident told TWO.

Sai Lin Lau’s parents reportedly served in the Shan State Progressive Party (SSPP/SSA) army and have been missing since his childhood. Sai Lin Lau is currently being cared for by his grandfather and grandmother.

Due to financial difficulties, Sai Lin Lau was unable to continue his education and had to drop out of school. He and his family have also borrowed money from friends to cover the cost of his eye injury treatments, according to a local source.