The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), commonly known as the Kokang Army, has begun recruiting women in Hsenwi Township, northern Shan State, as unprecedented move that is fueling anxiety among local communities already grappling with armed conflict and insecurity.

According to residents, MNDAA officials held meetings on June 15 across multiple wards and village tracts, informing communities that both men and women would be required to join a newly formed local police force under Kokang control.

“They didn’t say when or where, just that each village must send people, men and women,” said one attendee. “There are six of us in our group, and they told us we all had to go.”

This development marks a notable shift in the group’s strategy. While men have long been conscripted into local militias and policing roles, the recruitment of women in such numbers is new and, for many, deeply alarming.

In several neighborhoods, residents reported being given specific quotas to fulfill.

“Our neighborhood was ordered to provide two recruits,” said a woman from Hsenwi. “We’ve had two meetings already, but no one wants to go. They warned that if no one volunteers, they’ll come and arrest people.”

Fear is spreading rapidly among women in the township, many of whom are untrained and unprepared for policing—let alone combat. While MNDAA claims the recruits will serve in local security roles, residents fear they may be deployed to front-line areas, especially in light of recent clashes with the Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA).

“No one wants to join,” said another woman. “People are terrified. The last time they took people, some never came back. Now women are fleeing too.”

The recruitment drive is deepening the humanitarian crisis in Hsenwi. With few safe alternatives, women face the agonizing choice between forced conscription and displacement.

Since capturing Hsenwi in September 2023 during Operation 1027, MNDAA has consolidated control over the area. Although the group has launched reconstruction initiatives, including the reopening of bridges and establishment of temporary medical services. Its latest push for manpower is seen as coercive rather than constructive.

Among ongoing projects, the MNDAA has opened a temporary hospital at Hsenwi High School, reportedly stocked with medical supplies transferred from Lashio Public Hospital. Efforts are also underway to renovate the local public hospital and expand healthcare access.

Despite these developments, residents remain wary. Many view the new recruitment measures as a violation of their rights and autonomy under armed governance.

Human rights organizations are urging international attention to prevent the forced enlistment of civilians, particularly women, and to ensure protections for vulnerable populations in conflict-affected areas.