Myanmar military forces have sealed off a village in Kachin State’s jade-rich Hpakant Township after returning residents discovered at least 25 bodies buried in residential compounds, residents and news outlets reported Wednesday.

Junta troops, alongside fighters from the allied Warazut militia and the Shanni Nationalities Army (SNA), imposed a full lockdown on Mhawwanlay village on August 25, barring all entry and exit after photographs of the makeshift graves circulated widely on social media.

Displaced villagers had only recently been permitted to return in early August after being forced from their homes in May 2025 when junta-aligned forces occupied the settlement. 

The bodies were uncovered while residents were clearing debris and overgrown vegetation from their yards.

“When families started cleaning up their properties, they noticed suspicious, disturbed patches of earth,” a Hpakant resident told Network Media Group (NMG). “They dug them up and found the remains. 

Once the news went viral, the military immediately cordoned off the entire village.”

The identities of the victims remain unconfirmed. Due to a severe lack of medical infrastructure, forensic facilities, or DNA testing capabilities in Hpakant, local volunteers documented the remains before cremating them.

Local sources suspect the deceased may be civilians abducted as forced porters or extrajudicially executed during military sweeps, though some acknowledge they could also be junta or militia casualties buried during clashes with resistance forces.

“Burying so many bodies inside family residential compounds is inhumane and has left the community deeply traumatized,” another resident told NMG.

The Warazut militia, led by junta-aligned commander Min Zay Thant, has been repeatedly accused of severe human rights violations in the area, including extrajudicial killings, extortion, and looting. 

In mid-August, the group allegedly executed four civilians in nearby Nawngmyi village, an act condemned by Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) spokesperson Colonel Naw Bu as a war crime.

Hpakant Township remains under prolonged telecommunications and electricity blackouts, with residents facing constant anxiety over potential junta airstrikes despite the absence of active ground fighting.