KIA abducts 700 Shanni ethnics to use as human shields
297
Phyo (NP News) - Feb 9
On February 3, 2025, the Shanni Nationalities Unity Association (SNUA) announced that around 700 ethnic Shanni residents from Kyaunglae Village and Pinkhar Village in Banmauk Township, located in the upper part of the Sagaing Region, were abducted by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and its allied forces.
On January 29, 2025, a coalition led by the KIA had similarly abducted nearly 300 ethnic Shanni residents from Kyaunglae Village in Banmauk Township, and on January 30, 2025, about 400 ethnic Shanni residents from Pinkhar Village in the same township were also arrested and taken, as reported by the SNUA.
The SNUA said in a statement, “The Shanni villagers who were forcibly abducted included children aged 8 months, 2 years, and 3 years, who were suddenly separated from their parents and forced to flee, as well as many young women and elderly people, as well as monks. During the abduction, the KIA-led coalition forces tied up the Shanni villagers, doused them with boiling water, beat them with rifle butts, and committed many inhumane acts.”
Additionally, it was reported that heavy weapons were fired within the villages, Buddhist monasteries were directly damaged, and some villagers who managed to escape also revealed that trenches were being dug up under the religious buildings. This information was gathered from statements made by some of the villagers who fled.
The press release was jointly issued by the Shanni Nationalities Unity Association (SNUA), the Shanni Youth Network (Waimaw), the Shan Youth Network (Banmauk), the Shan Youth Network (Monyin), the Shan Youth Network (Mogaung), and the Shan Students Union (TSU).
The KIA-PDF joint forces are preparing for an offensive to capture Banmauk town, having attacked Kyaunglae and Pinkhar villages.
Within Banmauk Township, the Tatmadaw, the Shanni National Army (SNA), KIA, and PDF forces are active, with the KIA-PDF joint forces engaging in battles against the Tatmadaw and SNA.
During these clashes, the KIA-PDF has reportedly been using the detained ethnic Shanni civilians as human shields, according to the SNA.