In Hkamti Township, Naga Self-Administered Zone, Sagaing Region, the junta has intensified abductions for conscription, forcing not only young men but also middle-aged and elderly residents into hiding.
Infantry Battalion 52 (IB 52), based in Hkamti Town, has recently carried out abductions in villages along the Hkamti–Lahe Highway. According to a Hkamti resident, the abductors, dressed in civilian clothes and traveling in unmarked vehicles, have been targeting not only the young but also middle-aged and elderly men, forcing residents to hide or flee.
“Their main target is young men, but they also take anyone who’s still able-bodied and strong, even among the elderly. In some villages, all the men have fled, and there isn’t a single man left,” he told KNG.
In early 2024, the junta stepped up abductions in Hkamti and Lahe Townships in the Naga Self-Administered Zone, initially targeting young men. Lately, however, elderly and married men are no longer exempt.
“There aren’t any young people left within their reach, so now they don’t spare the middle-aged or elderly. They start taking every man they see,” the source added.
Since September 15, young and elderly men from around 10 villages, such as Sinthay, Yaedaung and Linhpar, along both sides of the highway in Hkamti Township have been temporarily displaced.
The Hkamti Township People’s Defence Force (Hkamti PDF) has been assisting with their evacuation to safety.
Leshi and Lahe townships, part of the Naga Self-Administered Zone, are under the control of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland–Khaplang (NSCN-K) militia faction led by Ang Mai, which maintains a close relationship with the junta.
Ang Mai’s NSCN-K has permitted the junta to carry out conscription in areas under its control, while urging it not to exceed the official regulations. However, in Hkamti, another township in the Naga Self-Administered Zone, the junta has been abducting people, including those already beyond conscription age.
NSCN-K is split into two factions, one led by Yung Aung and the other by Ang Mai. Ang Mai's faction has close ties to the junta, while Yung Aung's faction stands as an adversary to the coup regime.
