The Pa-O National Organization/Pa-O National Army (PNO/PNA), an ethnic militia operating under the Myanmar military in southern Shan State, has targeted civilians living in Karenni State and surrounding areas, conducting arrests, detentions and killings. The Burma War Crimes Investigation (BWCI) conducted an 8-month investigation into these cases, from March to November 2024, documenting the incidents.

In our findings, PNO/PNA violence has affected twenty-seven civilians, whose identifying details were collected by BWCI. Five individuals (four men and one woman) were killed by PNA soldiers. Eleven others were arrested and thrown into a sinkhole by PNA soldiers. While some of them managed to escape and return home, others went missing on their way back. BWCI conducted field and online interviews with eighteen people, including witnesses and survivors, to document these cases.