Junta and KIA Accused of Forcing Civilian Conscription in Hpakan

Myanmar Now

In Myanmar’s embattled Hpakant Township, residents say they are being forcibly recruited by both the military junta and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), as fighting intensifies across the jade-rich region.

Since September, locals report that KIA-led resistance groups have stepped up conscription efforts, targeting not only men but also women. “Just yesterday, two young women were taken from their shop in broad daylight,” one resident told The Irrawaddy. “People are too frightened to go around.”

KIA spokesperson Colonel Naw Bu admitted that some units may be resorting to coercion, though he insisted it’s not official policy. “Our aim is mobilisation, not force. But the fighting is intense, and many young people flee to avoid combat,” he said.

The junta, meanwhile, has fortified its positions in Hpakant and continues its offensive, deploying reinforcements along the Myitkyina-Kamaing-Hpakant road. Residents say clashes are ongoing and that families often don’t know whether missing relatives have been taken by the army or the resistance.

One man reportedly died while fleeing KIA conscription at a mining site, and others have criticised the targeting of working civilians. “They’re taking people who are just trying to earn a living, including women,” said one local. “This is not acceptable.”

A resistance fighter confirmed the strain on rebel forces. “We’re short on manpower, ammunition, and supplies. We urgently need fighters,” he said. Previous exemptions for families with one male member serving have been narrowed, leaving more relatives vulnerable to recruitment.

Conscription is reportedly being carried out by local administrative units, who claim orders come from headquarters. With missing-person notices multiplying, the line between enlistment and abduction is increasingly blurred.

As Myanmar’s civil war enters its fourth year, Hpakant’s civilians find themselves trapped between two warring forces—both demanding sacrifice, and both leaving fear in their wake.

-2025-10-10