Civilians trapped in Kachin State amid fighting; Conscripts from Irrawaddy Region ‘redeployed’ to Rakhine State

Civilians trapped in Kachin State’s Shwegu amid fighting

Displaced residents from Kachin State’s Shwegu town told DVB that at least 10,000 residents are still trapped inside the town on Wednesday, following the Kachin Independence Army (KIA)’s notice on Monday for residents to evacuate Shwegu in anticipation of a regime counteroffensive. Shwegu is located 119-181 miles (191-291 km) southwest of the KIA headquarters in Laiza and south of the Kachin State capital Myitkyina.

Resident still inside Shwegu told DVB on the condition of anonymity that the roads connecting Shwegu to Ngar Ooe village in Mabein Township, located in northern Shan State, have been closed due to fighting between the military and the KIA since June 8, adding that they could hear the sound of artillery fire. Both Shwegu and Mabein, located 119 miles (191 km) south of Shwegu, are contested and were placed under martial law.

The military counteroffensive originated at the Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 121 base in Ngar Ooe village in late April. Zin Yaw, a military defector who joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) following the 2021 coup, told DVB that regime forces are advancing towards Kachin’s Bhamo Township via Shwegu. Fighting over control of Bhamo, 64 miles (102 km) east of Shwegu, has been ongoing since Dec. 4, 2024.

Conscripts from Irrawaddy Region ‘redeployed’ to Rakhine State

Five families in Ayeyarwady Region’s Yekyi and Lemyethna townships told DVB that their male relatives, who were conscripted into the military during the 4th intake in late 2024, were reportedly redeployed to the frontline in Arakan State instead of being discharged after completing their two-years of military service for all males aged 18 to 35 mandated under the conscription law enforced on Feb. 10, 2024.

The five families reported to DVB that the LIB 36 based in Ayeyarwady’s Kyaunggon Township did not allow their male relatives to return home upon completion of their military service, citing “operational needs.” This is the second reported case in the region in recent weeks, after six families in Bogale and Pyapon townships told DVB that their male relatives had also been redeployed to frontline positions in Arakan State this month.

The conscription law allows the regime to extend military service for up to five years during “an emergency.” The regime has conscripted nearly 120,000 males in 24 batches, but sources told DVB that only around 12 per cent have been allowed to return home after completing their service. ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) stated on May 28 that Naypyidaw has increased the abduction and forced conscription of youth across Burma, calling it “stealing a generation” over the last two years.