Local residents report that the military council forces have forcibly arrested 13 young people from Kan Gyi village tract in Naung Cho Township, northern Shan State, to serve as military porters. On the evening of August 17, military council troops conducted house-to-house searches in the Kan Gyi village tract under the pretext of People’s Defense Force (PDF) members entering the village. During these searches, they arrested 13 youths, approximately 20 years of age.
Among those arrested, five individuals were released after their families paid ransoms, while the remaining eight were taken away by military council troops. The soldiers forcibly broke down house doors and arrested the young people at gunpoint. The arrested youths were detained in houses in the forest area, and only those who could pay money were released. Local sources indicate that the military troops conducted aggressive searches, breaking into homes and threatening residents with loaded weapons during the operation.
Since the military council’s recapture of Naung Cho town, they have been implementing oppressive measures including forced military recruitment of youth, restricting civilian movement, forcing porter service, and sealing off homes. These actions have caused many local residents to flee their homes and seek refuge elsewhere. The military council’s human rights violations have severely disrupted the daily lives of local residents, who now live in constant fear and anxiety. The situation has created a humanitarian crisis in the area, with civilians facing both physical and economic hardships due to the military’s oppressive actions and restrictions on their fundamental rights and freedoms.
