The junta-aligned New Democratic Army Kachin (NDA-K) Border Guard Force (BGF) militia has been forcibly conscripting people into its ranks in Chipwi and Pangwa towns in Kachin State, since the beginning of July 2024.
Chipwi Township and Pangwa Town are controlled by the NDA-K, which is led by Zahkung Ting Ying (a.k.a. S’Khon Tein Yein). The NDA-K also controls many rare earth mining operations in the area under its control.
The NDA-K previously conscripted in Chipwi Town, but this most recent conscription drive that has been going on for 20 days is noticeably more aggressive, according to locals. It has been indiscriminately targeting young people and adults up to the age of 35 in villages, wards, workplaces and even their homes in Chipwi and Pangwar townships.
This is causing residents of these places problems. A Chipwi Town resident said: “Currently, residents are unable to leave the area and are struggling to live there due to the fear of being conscripted. The situation has made daily life quite challenging. Amid political instability, Commodity prices have skyrocketed, and there are no places to earn a living. People are struggling with the fear of being conscripted when they travel, and people are also being detained at rare earth mining sites, making the situation quite difficult.”
According to reports, local administrators are working with the NDA-K to help them forcibly conscript people.
Most of the people working at the rare earth mines in the Panwar area have been conscripted. A youth from the Pangwar area claimed that over 100 workers have been conscripted from the rare earth mines.
According to other reports, the NDA-K has only conscripted people working at the rare earth mines who hold National Registration Cards (NRCs) saying that they are resident in Chipwi Town.
100 people were also conscripted from Chipwi Town, according to residents.
So far, in Kachin State, the junta has not formally begun implementing the conscription law and conscripting people. But, according to residents, the junta has been unofficially conscripting people into the Myanmar Army from the Chipwi and Pangwar areas.
