The people in Tanja Village, Putao Township are concerned that they might be taken as human shields during a combat operation involving the Military Council troops and the Rawang Militia joint force.
The villagers in Tanja village, located in Longshayang village-tract, Putao Township, are worried because the military and Rawang militia forces have initiated a combat operation in their area.
According to a villager, the residents of Tanja village had planned to begin plowing their fields in the fourth week of May. However, due to the combat operation initiated by the military and militia forces, they are now too afraid to even leave their homes.
"Everyone is scared. Most of the villagers started preparing the fields yesterday to plow them. But with the military column stationed in the village, we feel concerned and uneasy. That's why the villagers are too afraid to go outside."
The joint military and militia force that entered Tanja village was a column that had descended from Putao, and the residents reported that they had been staying in the forest for approximately a week.
On the afternoon of May 22, the joint force of the Military Council arrived at the Manaw field in Longshayang village. The following day, on May 23 at around 10:00 am, the villagers reported that they were stationed in Tanja village.
It has been reported that the Military Council troops are patrolling around the village while wearing full military uniforms.
The villagers are concerned because the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the People's Defense Forces (PDF) joint force are near their village. They are afraid that during potential clashes, they might be taken away forcefully and used as human shields.
A resident said, "We are mostly scared of being arrested and used as human shields. Due to the presence of the KIA and PDF in the east, everyone is afraid of being forced to guide their military, answer questions about their activities, and help them in any way."
The joint military and militia force, consisting of more than 60 troops, reportedly entered the houses of the residents in Tanja village. Due to their presence, the villagers are afraid to leave their homes.
Residents said that the 138th Division under the Military Council and the Rawang Militia joint force from the column that is currently in Tanja Village is the force that threw bombs from Hpatmar Village to Tanja Village in the third week of May.
In Putao Township, on May 18, there was a clash near Wadat village involving the Military Council column. They were engaged in a combat operation towards Tsumpiyang, facing opposition from the joint forces of KIA and PDF.
The villages of Tsumpiyang, Tanja, and Longshayang are often visited by the KIA and PDF forces. As a result, there are frequent clashes with the military in the nearby areas.
