CNI News
4 Oct 2022
Two Naga youths for Tayon Village in Shinbweyan Township, Tanai District in Kachin State were conscripted by the Kachin Independence Army, local residents and Naga organizations told the CNI.
The KIA has long been conscripting Naga youths and the two youths were abducted from their home, a resident who did not want to be named for security reasons told the CNI.
He told the CNI, “The first youth was abducted at night on Saturday and the KIA tried to kidnap another youth last night but the youth managed to flee. So, the KIA abducted his elder brother for conscription. The KIA is active in our Hukaung Valley. They are recruiting new soldiers.”
Tayon is a village of about 600 households from Kachin, Naga and other ethnic groups, all of whom are conscripted regularly, according to the local resident.
Shinbweyan Township Administration Office.
The CNI contacted KIA Spokesperson Col Naw Bu, who did not answer the phone.
No one prevents anyone who voluntarily join the KIA but abducting youth at their homes for conscription is not acceptable, Ko Kyaw Lin (the name has been changed), a local resident, told the CNI.
He said, “They should not conscript Naga youths. I have nothing to say about those who join the KIA voluntarily. Some young people join the KIA voluntarily to support their parents. However, the KIA is abducting youths from their homes for conscription. It is not acceptable for me. This is my personal opinion.”
The KIA conscripts youths from other ethnic groups and gives them Kachin names, according to the local resident, who did not want to be named.
Members of Naga ethnic groups.
He said, “If we are required to enlist in armed organizations, we will join the armed forces of our ethnic group because the KIA forcibly changes names of the conscripts. As names given by their parents are not permitted to use in the KIA, it is difficult for their parents to retrace their children. They lose contact with their children. The KIA is engaging not in politics but in racial interests. It is not in our interests to join the KIA.”
Brigade (2) of the KIA is active in Hukaung Valley in Tanai Township in Kachin State.
Nga ethnic group has its own armed organizations like the NSCN and Naga PDG, which was formed during the Spring Revolution.
