Locals claim KIA solely in digging up bodies in Hpakant
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Htet Nadi/ Thet Paing
According to information obtained by The Statesman from local residents, the digging of the ground until bodies were discovered in the Lon Khin area of Hpakant Township was the action of the KIA Brigade (9).
The excavation of the Lone Khin cemetery, located between Lon Khin and Hmaw Si Sa villages, began in January 2025 and was only stopped on June 1 when Tatmadaw security forces entered.
Then, a photo of bodies on the ground after heavy rains in the area appeared on Facebook social media in recent days.
“They dug the mine to raise funds for the KIA Brigade (9). They took the soil out of the mine by truck and set up floating platforms near the Kaungpyae gas station between Lon Khin and Chaung Sone to float the gold and stones. They stopped when the Tatmadaw arrived at Lon Khin,” said a Hpakant resident who did not want to be named.
Another local resident said that a foul smell now remain in the area due to the excavation of the burial ground.
“They work together with the people who call themselves the local authorities. They dig as they want and leave it there. When it rains, the bodies all cover up on the ground. It’s not a pretty sight because it’s right next to the road. Also, I heard that the houses nearby smell bad,” he said.
Locals also reported that the KIA group not only conducted such excavations, but also sold the land belonging to the Lon Khin Hospital adjacent to the cemetery to a businessman and opened a restaurant and a coffee shop there.
Not only do those close to the top leaders of the KIA and KIO monopolize Hpakant town for their own benefit, but they also select and appoint only those who are in line with them in the local administration.
Last January, local residents reported that the KIO and two companies collaborated to mine jade at the Mazup Yang School in Hpakant Township, Kachin State, where over 600 students are studying.
Similarly, in the past, there were instances where the KIO and a joint venture company jointly conducted jade mining, resulting in the disappearance of schools in Tamakhan Village, including Sabyikhu Village and Katay Village in Hpakant Township. –