Escalating KIA Conscription Drives Compound Hardships for Displaced Families Near China Border

Internally displaced persons (IDPs) taking refuge in Loije sub-township along the China-Myanmar border face worsening humanitarian distress as intensified military conscription by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) restricts civilian movement and separates families.

Displaced since early 2024 due to intense clashes between the military regime and the KIA across Mong Mauk (Momauk) Township, more than 300 Shan IDP families across border settlements—including Mang Gaw Kawng and Loi Hein Sai—are struggling to secure daily livelihoods.

Relatives report that KIA conscription patrols frequently intercept civilians, detaining young Shan men, women, and middle-aged refugees fleeing Bhamo, Mong Mauk, and Kyaukme.

Families attempting to retrieve detained relatives describe insurmountable administrative hurdles, with military posts dragging out appeals through endless paperwork demands when detainees undergo two months of mandatory combat training before frontline deployment.

"Because conscription patrols lie in wait and intercept people on alternate days, ordinary civilians face enormous difficulties just trying to find food each day," one displaced resident told SHAN, noting that fears of arbitrary detention prevent refugees from seeking essential daily wage labor.

Addressing the reports, KIA spokesperson Col. Naw Bu stated that while the organization does not explicitly target temporary IDP camps, all residents in long-established liberated zones are expected to shoulder revolutionary duties.

He added that recruitment includes women for administrative roles, denying allegations of forced arrests and maintaining that individual family circumstances are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

The recruitment drive unfolds amid significant territorial shifts in lower Kachin State, where joint KIA and Kachin People’s Defense Force (KPDF) units captured over 10 major military bases between Momeik and Loije earlier this year.