Villagers from Mong Ko area under Muse District, northern Shan State are objecting to road construction inside a village and farm by Chinese business owners.
The local residents staged a protest on June 21 against the road construction in Hpai Kawng Village near Wangding Village under ‘permission from the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO)’.
An official from the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) Brigade 6 from Mong Ko area said his brigade was not aware about the KIO allowing the road construction.
“Either the KIO Div (KIO administration) or the KIO Brigade 4 have been selling land, rocks, and mines to Chinese Laopans (bosses) without the Brigade 6’s knowledge,” he said.
The villagers have been objecting to the KIO for allowing the road construction since fighting resumed between the Tatmadaw and the KIO in 2011.
The villagers said the KIO has been threatening the villagers who reported to them instead of stopping the road construction.
