November 28, 2022
A Lisu militia led by U Shwe Min under the military council has been established in Tanai Township in Hukawng Valley, Kachin State, and has begun inspection by setting up checkpoints, according to locals.
The ethnic militia has set up camps on the Kyaung Kone road in Makaw village in Tanai township and inspect trucks, rice, fuel and people has been tightened, a resident of Lamon village told Kachin News Group (KNG).
“They have started to arrive. It has been more than a week. U Shwe Min himself is here at the moment. As far as I can tell, they are checking the passing cars and anyone they suspect. And they also collect the names of the people who pass through the gates. I don’t know how far this is going to go,” he said.
He went on to analyze the situation to mean that the expansion of the U Shwe Min group’s military camps in the Tanai area is only to control the entire Tanai area and to collect money and do business.
“Honestly, the Lisu people who live in this area didn’t them to come here. Members of the KIA occasionally stay in this area. There are many natural resources mined in this area, such as gold and amber. So I think that the militia has come here out of self-interest,” he said.
Currently, about 30 members of the U Shwe Min militia are staying in Makaw and Kyaung Kone villages. The group reportedly recruits youth from the villages and pays them a daily wage of MMK 10,000.
U Shwe Min group’s checkpoint is located near the tiger conservation facility between Makaw and Kyaung Kone villages – one mile from Lamon village.
In the adjacent area, there is a militia group from Lamon village led by U Yawba, and U Shwe Min reportedly asked the Northern Region Military Command to let them take the place of the existing militia group in the area.
Since U Shwe Min’s request was rejected by U Yawba, they offered his militia group to operate between Makaw and Kyaung Kone villages, according to local residents.
The majority of residents in Lamon, Makaw and Kyaung Kone villages are Lisu people.
“It’s been a week now and since they arrived, there is a lot of movement inside and outside the village. Before, this area was a very quiet and peaceful place. Now the locals have to be careful when they are in the area during harvest time. People are being checked for unprecedented things. Even though the area has been quiet so far, the situation might become turbulent since they are here. That’s why we locals don’t want them to be here,” said a resident of Makaw village.
Locals said the area around Lamon and Makaw villages in Tanai Township has remained stable and without fighting despite the presence of Lisu militia led by U Yawba.
It is reported that the newly arrived militia led by U Shwe Min plans to establish two military camps near Makaw and Monghkun villages, one of which was recently established in Kyaung Kone village.
Sent by KNG.