A wave of displacement is sweeping through Tangyan Township as civilians flee escalating forced recruitment by the United Wa State Army (UWSA), local sources report. Masked as a community security initiative, the UWSA’s aggressive conscription campaign has left residents with no choice but to abandon their homes.

Since early May, the UWSA’s 171st Military Region has allegedly pressured civilians, particularly those without prior military experience into mandatory training programs. While framed as voluntary “community defense” efforts, locals say the training effectively funnels recruits into the UWSA’s ranks.

“They’re targeting anyone who hasn’t joined the Shan army, forcing them into training under the pretext of local defense,” said a Tangyan resident, speaking on condition of anonymity. “But once trained, they’re expected to serve the Wa Army. Entire families, especially those with multiple sons, are fleeing to avoid conscription.”

On May 22, UWSA officials summoned village leaders from eastern Tangyan, including Weinmai, Hwaykyein, and Mongkeng to a high-pressure meeting. Deputy Commander Ta Kaw and local representative Lone Lu reportedly demanded immediate militia recruits, dismissing objections that most able-bodied men had already joined Shan armed groups.

“When village heads explained the shortage of adult men, UWSA officials threatened to draft minors from families with multiple children,” another source revealed. “They gave a one-week ultimatum and even invoked ‘Hong’ Park’s name as a warning.”

At least four men from Narnyu village are already undergoing training, while other village leaders have gone into hiding, fearing reprisals for failing to meet quotas. Meanwhile, Wa authorities are searching for a local who leaked a recruitment meeting photo to the media, intensifying the climate of fear.

The UWSA has widened its campaign across multiple village tracts, including former Mang Pang militia territories and strategic routes like the Tangyan-Lashio and Tangyan-Panghsang highways.

While UWSA External Relations Officer U Nyi Yan denied forced recruitment in a May 20 interview with SHAN, calling the training “voluntary and purely for community defense,” a May 27 Wa State TV (WSTV) broadcast undermined his claims. The report showcased a military parade by the UWSA’s Southern Military District (171), featuring freshly trained recruits and heavy weaponry near the Thai-Myanmar border, raising further questions about the program’s true purpose.

As tensions escalate, the exodus from Tangyan continues, with civilians caught between forced conscription and displacement.