KIA and PDF members, disguised as civilians, launch robbery waves in Hpakant
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Hsu/Thant Zin (NP News) - Dec 8
The number of robberies in Hpakant Township, Kachin State, has increased significantly in recent weeks, with residents reporting at least 20 incidents in one month, mostly targeting jade traders and gold shops. Locals told The Statesman that they are living in fear because the perpetrators are members of the KIA and PDF, who disguise themselves as civilians to carry out the crimes.
A local man reported that the robberies are being committed by KIA and PDF members who exploit the region's instability by disguising themselves as civilians.
“They dominate the area day and night. Everyone is living in fear. It’s the KIA and PDF—covering their faces and doing this. Unarmed locals are the ones suffering the consequences. They follow jade traders after they sell their stones and rob them. They also frequently enter gold shops to rob them,” he said.
He further reported that after disguising themselves, members of the KIA and PDF have also been involved in motorcycle thefts, ambush robberies, and murders.
“They rob local people without hesitation. In Hpakant, the law has collapsed, and armed groups are in control. They do whatever they want to the people. It’s extremely frustrating,” he said.
According to local reports, the majority of robberies take place in Lon Khin village, where many jade mines are located, and in the Hmawsi Sar village area.
Recent incidents underscore the increasing danger. On the night of November 30, near KING KTV in Hpakant, a man was stabbed in the neck and his motorcycle was stolen. Similarly, the day before that, on November 29, an armed man robbed a passer-by near Lon Khin Pagoda, stealing three million kyats.
These types of incidents are becoming increasingly common in the Hpakant area, with one resident writing on social media that motorcycle thefts and robberies are now happening in broad daylight in some places, yet no one dares intervene.
“In a place known as Nyein Chan Tharyar, we all know which group is stealing the motorcycles, but we just sit and watch. They go from house to house stealing, and no one takes action. These people walk back and forth in front of our homes every day looking as though they might rob someone if they can't steal something,” the resident wrote.