On February 16, Military Council troops forcibly abducted more than 30 civilians in Hmaw Si Sar village, Lonekhin village-tract, Hpakant township, Kachin state.
An eyewitness told KNG that the Military Council troops, which included more than 30 soldiers, entered Hmaw Si Sar village from Hpakant town, grabbing jade scavengers, company workers, including women, for no apparent reason.
“Soldiers in full military uniform entered the village firing guns. When they came in, they grabbed everything and everyone, including the girls. Most of them are jade scavengers. Those arrested were hand tied and taken to Hpakant,” he said.
Among the more than 30 civilians abducted by the Military Council, 5 women from Aung Tharyar Ward-1 of Hmaw Si Sar Village, 13 miners from Min Naing Soe Jade Company, and the rest are jade scavengers.
“ Hmaw Si Sar has residential houses on the tailing heaps. There are two places, Aung Thayar (1) and (2), but they only raided Aung Tharyar (1). Until today, they have not been released,”the source continued.
Residents said that the Military Council troops, when they entered and captured the civilians, raised their guns in the air and started firing indiscriminately, then turned back towards Hpakant.
In the Hpakant region, Military Council troops are regularly beating and arresting civilians, and security has been tightened throughout Hpakant and people are being strictly checked.
