Five villagers from Man Jay village tract in Lashio Township, northern Shan State, remain in the custody of the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), also known as the Kokang Army, more than two weeks after their arrest during a protest against gold mining operations, local residents said.

According to residents of Nam Pawng, 36 villagers who participated in a demonstration opposing MNDAA-linked mining activities were detained by Kokang soldiers on the evening of February 1 and taken toward Hsenwi. While in detention, they were reportedly beaten and interrogated in an effort to identify protest leaders and organizers.

Community elders and village administrators traveled to Hsenwi on February 2 to negotiate with MNDAA officials. Following discussions, 27 detainees were released, while nine remained in custody.

“On the 9th, four people were released. We were told the remaining five would only be freed after senior leaders returned from their annual meeting in Laukkai. We do not know when that will be. Since the Kokang (MNDAA) have not released them, we are concerned about their health,” a male resident of Nam Pawng told SHAN.

After the arrests, the Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA) sent a formal letter to MNDAA headquarters requesting the release of the detainees. Several Shan civil society organizations also issued public statements calling for their freedom.

On February 9 at around 3:00 p.m., MNDAA authorities released four of the remaining nine detainees in Hsenwi. Five villagers, however, continue to be held, according to local sources.

On February 14, 11 Shan youth organizations, including the Shan Youth Congress, issued a joint statement expressing grave concern over the detainees’ safety and condemning the use of force and arbitrary detention against civilians engaged in peaceful protest. The groups demanded the villagers’ unconditional release and warned that any harm to them could escalate ethnic tensions.

A Lashio resident criticized both armed groups, telling SHAN: “A group that claims to be fighting military dictatorship should not be arresting and beating civilians. Even if the Kokang are acting independently, our own Shan army is remaining silent instead of protecting the people. I urge our Shan army to show empathy for those who are suffering.”

Senior MNDAA representatives visited SSPP/SSA headquarters on February 13 for New Year observances. Although discussions reportedly took place, it remains unclear whether the detention of the five villagers was raised during the meeting.

Photographs released by SSPP Info showed representatives from the Northern Alliance — including the United Wa State Army and the National Democratic Alliance Army — attending a wedding ceremony for the son of the SSPP chairman on the same day, highlighting continued ties among armed groups despite tensions at the community level.

Residents say the continued detention of the five villagers has deepened fear and uncertainty in the area, where communities worry that opposition to resource extraction projects may increasingly be met with force rather than dialogue.