Civilians in the jade-mining hub of Hpakant Township in Kachin State say they are being subjected to forced recruitment not only by the junta’s military, but also by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and allied resistance groups.
Since September, the KIA and its partners have stepped up conscription in areas under their control, targeting both men and women, locals said.
A woman from Hpakant said the situation has become increasingly alarming lately. “Just yesterday, two young women were taken from their shop in broad daylight,” she told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday.
“Previously, they usually came in the evenings, but now they show up even in the morning. People are too frightened to go around,” she said.
KIA spokesperson Colonel Naw Bu admitted that some units may be resorting to forced recruitment but insisted it is not official policy.
“Our policy is to recruit through mobilization, not coercion. But the fighting has been intense, and many young people are unwilling to join. Some even flee to avoid combat. Under these pressures, there may be cases where our troops have forcibly conscripted people,” he told The Irrawaddy.
On Sept. 30, a 27‑year‑old man reportedly fell to his death at a mining site in Seikmu Village-tract in Hpakant while trying to escape KIA recruitment, according to local sources.
Another resident criticized the practice of targeting women and working people.
“If they really want to conscript, they should go after those wasting time in gambling dens. Instead, they are taking people who are struggling to earn a living, including women. Just last night near Sai Taung, they took away several people, all of them women. This is not acceptable,” he said.
The regime has been waging a major offensive in Hpakant since April, deploying large-scale reinforcements along the Myitkyina-Kamaing-Hpakant road.
The military has heavily fortified its positions in the town, and clashes with KIA‑led resistance forces continue across the township, residents and resistance sources said.
A frontline resistance fighter admitted that the KIA is under severe strain. In the past, families were exempt from conscription if one male member was already serving, but now only brothers are spared while other relatives are still being drafted, he said.
“Families often have no idea whether their missing relatives have been taken by the junta or by the resistance, and missing-person notices are everywhere. Recruitment is being carried out by local administrative units, who claim the orders come from headquarters, leaving us with little room to object,” the resistance fighter said.
“At present, the needs are overwhelming—we face shortages of manpower, ammunition and supplies. Above all, we urgently need fighters to continue the struggle. Beyond that, I’d prefer not to say more.”
