In Kachin State’s Hpakant Township, a town renowned for its high-quality jade, the junta arrested 35 young men over three days. The arrests occurred in Hpakant Town, the township’s administrative center, between August 28 and 30, according to town residents.
On August 28, the junta abducted 10 youths near Pantin Bridge. The following day, 15 more were taken at Kyauksein Bridge, linking to Mashikatong Ward. On August 30, 10 youths were seized while celebrating a birthday at a restaurant in Mashikatong Ward.
On August 31, the junta forcibly abducted three people at an autorickshaw gate in Hpakant Town. Later that night, four young men were arrested at a motorcycle workshop in the town’s jade trading area; all were traveling in two separate vehicles, a local witness told KNG. The exact number of people arrested that day remains unknown.
“Lately, the junta has been abducting young people almost every day. Some of them have been released. For example, on the night of August 29, eight of the 15 people arrested near Kyauksein Bridge were let go, but seven are still being held,” a local from Hpakant Town said. None of the youths abducted on August 28, 30, and 31 have been released so far.
Recently, the junta arrested resistance member Naing Min Htet. Since then, security has been tightened in junta-controlled areas of Hpakant Town, and arrests have become increasingly severe.
Resistance sources reported that Naing Min Htet was arrested after someone tipped off the junta about his whereabouts.
The junta has deployed hidden guards in Hpakant Town, while its troops carry out targeted searches and mass arrests of pedestrians.
“There are hidden junta guards all over the town. Its troops patrol during the day, and the abductions pick up at night. Since the junta arrested a resistance member in Hpakant, these abductions have become even more frequent,” the aforementioned Hpakant resident added.
Abductions increased sharply after the junta dispatched reinforcements to Hpakant.
In addition, the junta’s Tactical Operations Command (TOC) in Hpakant Town frequently carries out arbitrary artillery shelling of suspected resistance hideouts and residential areas, causing civilian casualties.
Most recently, on August 31, an artillery shell fired from the TOC exploded near a gas station in Hpakant Town, killing one civilian.
