It has been reported that underage children are among the new recruits of the Jaryang militia stationed near Jaryang village in Mong Yaw area, Lashio Township, northern Shan State.
Among those admitted as conscripts to the Jaryang militia camp were 20 children under the age of 18, Lt. Col. Tar Aik Kyaw, spokesperson of the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), told the Shan Herald.
“Villagers complained to us that Ta’ang people were forcibly taken to the Jaryang militia camp to become soldiers. There were about 20 underage children among them,” said the ethnic army’s spokesperson.
According to reports, the TNLA troops came under the military council’s air attack at around 4 am on 4 Feb. while returning from their mission to rescue the Ta’ang (Palaung) people.
“The military council attacked us with aircraft after we brought out the people. They also shot at us with the aircraft gun, but there were no casualties on our side. There was also no exchange of fire between us and the Jaryang militiamen,” Tar Aik Kyaw said.
The ethnic army rescued a total of 127 people – 112 men and 15 women – including 20 children under the age of 18.
Lt. Col. Tar Aik Kyaw dismissed as “false” earlier reports that TNLA members had used villagers as human shields.
“When we got there, there were no villagers, only our members. None of the villagers were taken hostage,” said
The Jaryang militia camp is a unit of the Kaungkha People’s Militia, also known as the Kachin Defense Army (KDA), based in Kawnghka in Kutkai Township.
The KDA is currently believed to be led by U Ma Htu Naw, former commander of the 4th Brigade of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in Shan State.
Jaryang village, with more than 600 households, is home to most Kachin as well as Ta’ang and other peoples.
Sent by the Shan Herald.