Myanmar's Jade Capital Burns as Junta Launches Brutal Counteroffensive in Hpakant

[geovalin]

Hpakant Post

 

Fierce fighting and scorched-earth tactics have engulfed Hpakant, Myanmar’s jade-rich northern township, as junta troops battle to retake territory from Kachin resistance forces. In a desperate counteroffensive, regime forces have begun torching jade mines, raiding villages, and launching deadly airstrikes.

 

For the past year, Hpakant has been under near-total siege by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and allied People’s Defense Forces, who control key supply routes. In late April, two junta columns—around 1,000 soldiers—launched a coordinated push to reclaim the area, but progress has stalled amid fierce resistance.

 

One column remains trapped near Nam Mun, while another has reached Lone Khin, just 12 km from Hpakant. Locals report that troops advancing from this direction have threatened to bomb the town if attacked.

 

“They’re burning machinery and raiding villages. People are terrified,” said a resident. Junta troops have reportedly turned a local pagoda into a military base and torched jade mines and vehicles in multiple areas, including Hmawsizar and Seik Mu.

 

Last week, a regime drone strike on a mining explosives warehouse in Lone Khin killed nine civilians, including a child. A separate drone attack nearby killed four more and injured others.

 

The conflict has sent Hpakant into crisis. Markets have shuttered, essentials are scarce, and food prices have more than doubled. A sack of rice now costs over 200,000 kyat (US$40), while eggs are selling for 1,000 kyat each. Locals say medicines and fuel are running out.

 

Escape from the conflict zone is increasingly difficult. The main Hpakant-Kamaing road is blocked, and the only alternative route is controlled by the Shanni Nationalities Army, which extorts money and arrests travelers, especially youth.

 

Amid the chaos, internal tensions in the military are surfacing. The junta has reportedly detained Hpakant-based Battalion 33 Commander Colonel Kyaw Hset Myint for alleged illegal jade dealings. His wife and mother-in-law were also held briefly. Colonel Tin Maung Kyaw, commander of Brigade 99, has also been removed for operational failures.

 

The regime’s intensified campaign in Hpakant reflects its broader struggle to reassert control across northern Myanmar. However, the cost is devastating: destroyed livelihoods, civilian deaths, and growing instability in one of the country’s most resource-rich yet war-torn regions.

 

-2025-06-13