The military conucil troops nd Township Administration Council are jointly condcuting the recruitment, arrests and inspection of youths in Hkamti in upper Sagaing Region, accoriding to locals.
Since the first week of December, the military council has been conducting inspections and making arrests of young men at checkpoints at the entrance and exit of Hkamti.
According to sources close to the Township Administration Council, at least 10 youths have been arrested.
A local source close to the Township Administration Council said, “The military has intensified arrests. Recently, the upper clerk from the General Administration Department transported some of them by plane. I don’t know where they were taken. The military does not inform the families of those arrested. Most of those detained are from the Nagha community.”
The junta is mainly conducting insepctions and arrests of youths on Hkamti-Homalin, Hkamti-Nansipun and Hkamti -Lahe roads, the local added.
“They were arrested at the checkpoints—Htaung, heading to Namsipun, and Chindwin. They were then taken to the military. What I know for sure is that three have been detained,” the local added.
Local sources confirmed that the total number of those arrested has reached 10, with three detainees taken from the Hkamti-Namsipun and Hkamti-Homalin roads.
On 6 December, the military council arrested around 10 youths from the Starlink Internet cafe in Hkamti and sealed off the cafe, a local woman from Khamhti said.
A local woman from Hkamti said, “Many youths were abducted from the Starlink Internet cafe. The military also seized the Starlink equipment from Namsipun. There were more than 10 people in the cafe, but we don’t know exactly how many were arrested.”
A resident of Khamhti said that the military council and the Township Administrative Council are demanding a ransom of 5 million kyats for those arrested from the Starlink Internet cafe. However, it is still unclear how many youths have been released.”
Regarding the arrests between the first and second weeks of December, a town leader said, “They arrest youths in the wards at night. Their parents are notified and asked to pay money to secure their release. The ransom money is shared among the General Administration Department, police, the township administrator, and the military. Some families who can afford to pay 5 to 6 million kyats are not allowed to take the detainees back.”
In addition to the military council, the Shanni Nationalities Army (SNA) and a Naga armed force
The National Socialist Council of Naga (NSCN-AM) are active in Hkamti Township.
Family members are concerned that young people who have been unjustly arrested by the military council are being forcibly sent to military training across the country.
Sent by NMG