Residents in Kengtung say local authorities are requiring business owners to join junta-backed militias before they can obtain firearm permits, leaving them caught between rising violent crime and the risks of aligning themselves with the military.

Amid a wave of armed robberies, kidnappings, and murders, business owners—particularly those in the gold and retail sectors—have petitioned authorities for permission to carry firearms for self-defense. Instead, they say they have been given an ultimatum: join a militia before a permit will be issued.

“Gold merchants are extremely worried, so they recently applied for firearm permits,” a Kengtung resident told SHAN. “However, the police refused to issue the permits outright. They were told that if they really wanted to carry firearms, they would first have to join the militia.”

The demand for self-defense has grown as violent crime continues to escalate. Among the most alarming recent incidents were the July 2 kidnapping of a woman from a furniture store located just meters from the local police station and the May 13 murder of a gold shop owner, who was robbed of approximately 4.9 kilograms of gold. No suspects have been arrested in either case.

Although police patrol the city during the day, residents say the sense of security disappears as soon as officers leave.

“The police appear to be patrolling during the day, but as soon as they leave, thieves and robbers show up,” the resident said. “Whenever an incident occurs, they never catch the perpetrators. We hear about motorcycle robberies at least once a week.”

The authorities’ response has been met with skepticism. On July 4, the District General Administration Department held a “Legal Awareness Instructor Training” for 38 ward and village administrators.

Residents, however, say such initiatives are largely symbolic in a city where armed criminal groups appear to operate with impunity and the rule of law has steadily eroded.

For many, Kengtung has become a “ghost town” after dark. Business owners and money changers say they live in constant fear and often refuse to allow strangers into their homes.

The requirement to join a militia adds another layer of risk. Militia members are often given priority for frontline conscription and may also become targets of anti-junta resistance groups.

Caught between escalating violent crime and the dangers of military affiliation, many residents say they face an impossible choice: risk becoming victims of crime or join a militia that may offer little real protection while exposing them to new and potentially life-threatening dangers.