The military council arrested over 40 locals from Nantyar, Yaykartar and Khintaung villages in Hpakant Township of Kachin State as human shields, according to locals.
On the morning of 17 May, a military column of around 200 soldiers arrested locals from Nantyar, Khintaung and Yaykartar villages as human shield when they left Nantyar for Karmaing, a man from Lawah village told the Kachin News Group (KNG).
“Some locals from Nantyar village have fled the village in recent days. Now the military arrested the people left in the village. The detainees are from Nantyar and Yaykartar villages. The military arrested the people from Nantyar village when they went to the market in the early morning,” he said.
Khintaung and Yaykartar villages are located between Nantyar and Karmaing and about five miles from Nantyar village.
“The military council arrested the people from Yaykartar village at around 9 am as they encountered the military column,” the man said.
That military column arrived in Karmaing at 3 pm today. The military has not released the detainees yet.
Among over 40 detainees are men, women and children.
“This is a replacement. It is common. The military usually arrests and uses civilians as human shields,” said a local man from Hpakant who is engaging in the revolution.
On 14 May, a military column of over 100 soldiers advanced Battalion-44 of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in Nanttain. The military council withdrew as it suffered heavy losses following the KIA’s ambush in Nanttain.
The military council arrested over 30 people from Malanyan and Dwanban villages on 2 May and some people from Malanyan village on 4 May.
Sent by KNG