The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) is forcibly recruiting new soldiers in almost all villages in Lashio Township, Shan State, according to local sources.
After handing over control of 12 wards of Lashio town to the military junta in April, the MNDAA has been aggressively recruiting new soldiers from almost all villages outside the town, locals reported.
Since early June, MNDAA township officials have been demanding one person per village from areas including Mong Pai, Nar Nang, Man Sei, and Nam Pawng in the southeast part of Lashio Township. Villages were instructed to provide recruits by 25 June at the latest, a local man from Lashio said.
“The MNDAA township official in Namt Paung came to collect people for military service. Each village has to provide one person. If they fail to deliver 25 June at the latest, they said they’d take the village chief instead. I heard in the Man Sei village tract, they managed to find a replacement for 6 million kyat,” the local man stated.
Villages required to supply new recruits by 25 June include the Mong Pai, Kyu Tee, and Taw Nay village tracts, according to residents.
Similarly, in the Nam Pawng village tract, which includes nine villages, the MNDAA’s deputy township official, U Soe Myint, and Sai Kyaw Han led a meeting to demand one recruit per village, locals from Namt Paung reported.
“The Kokang army says one thing and does another. No matter what the higher-ups discuss, the ground-level people do whatever they want. Last week, they agreed with the Shan State Progress Party (SSPP) not to recruit here anymore, but they’re not keeping their promise,” the Lashio resident added.
On 5 June, an MNDAA led by someone named Laung Khaing detained the village head of Han Nar, U San Kyar, in Nar Lan village near Sin In for one night. He was released on 6 June after 10 villagers submitted household registration lists, locals said.
Furthermore, in the first week of June, the MNDAA detained the village head and two elders from Man Mai Maik Nin village in Mong Lin village tract, Hseni Township, citing household list issues. They were released on 6 June.
On 17 June, SSPP and MNDAA officials held a second meeting near Than Lwin village, located near Nam Pawng, in Lashio Township.
They agreed that the MNDAA would refrain from recruiting soldiers, imposing administrative measures, or collecting taxes in SSPP-controlled areas, including Mong Yai, Nam Pawng, and Hsin Kyawt, according to military sources.
Sent by Shan News
