Internally displaced people (IDPs) sheltering in temporary camps across Loije sub-township in Mong Mauk (Momauk) Township are facing severe hardships amid active military recruitment by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), according to local reports.

Since early 2024, escalating clashes between the military regime and the KIA in Mong Mauk Township have forced residents to flee to areas near the China-Myanmar border in Loije. However, as recruitment efforts have intensified over the past year, the KIA has frequently intercepted and detained people in and around Loije’s IDP camps, further compounding the daily struggles of displaced communities.

“When the KIO/KIA detains someone for conscription, family members and relatives go to the respective military camps to get their loved ones back, but they are given various excuses and denied visits. They drag out the process by demanding recommendation letters, and more often than not, it becomes increasingly difficult to secure anyone’s release,” a displaced man from Loije sub-township told SHAN.

Displaced residents say the extreme hardship of displacement creates immense financial burdens and logistical challenges for families trying to travel to military camps to retrieve detained relatives. While a small number of detainees have managed to secure their release, the vast majority cannot be brought home, they said.

“Because conscription patrols lie in wait and intercept people on alternate days, ordinary civilians face enormous difficulties just trying to find food each day. Although various groups provide assistance to displaced people, it is never enough to sustain us. We are forced to go out looking for work to survive, but we face all kinds of hardships because of the constant threat of conscription,” the IDP added.

According to lists verified by SHAN, those targeted for recruitment by the KIA include Shan youths, middle-aged men, and women who fled Bhamo, Mong Mauk, and Kyaukme and sought refuge in Loije and Mansi townships. Family members said those captured are forced to undergo two months of basic military training before being deployed to frontline positions.

More than 300 Shan IDP families currently live in temporary settlements in Shan villages near the border in Loije sub-township, including Mang Gaw Kawng, Loije Taungpaw Zeydikone, Kawng Hsa, Tung Hung, Nawng Pong, Mant Ling, On Long, and Loi Hein Sai.

When SHAN contacted KIA spokesperson Col. Naw Bu about conscription activities in the Loije IDP camps, he said the organization maintains a policy requiring ethnic Kachin and indigenous residents of Kachin State to shoulder revolutionary duties.

“Regarding those currently facing the hardships of displacement, we don’t specifically target IDPs for recruitment as soldiers. However, some people have been displaced for more than 10 years, and we have many liberated areas. Therefore, we do involve young people residing in those areas in troop recruitment,” Col. Naw Bu told SHAN.

He added that recruitment does not discriminate based on gender, saying women can also serve in administrative and office positions. As a result, the KIA maintains a policy of recruiting both men and women.

He also noted that Loije is a border town where people from diverse backgrounds live and conduct business, making it difficult to precisely determine who qualifies as an IDP.

“Conscription isn’t something that is heavily advertised. Every organization has an established conscription policy—Min Aung Hlaing conscripts, PDF groups conscript, and every ethnic armed organization recruits new soldiers. As the KIA, we also recruit, but we have strict orders prohibiting forced arrests,” Col. Naw Bu added.

He said the issue cannot be viewed in black-and-white terms, noting that the organization also considers family circumstances and individuals’ revolutionary backgrounds when deciding whether to release detainees.

Fighting erupted in early 2024 between regime forces and joint units of the KIA and Kachin People’s Defense Force (KPDF) in Momauk Township. During the fighting, the KIA captured more than 10 major military bases between Momeik and Loije, including the Yaw Yon, Pada Bum, and Sein Lon strategic camps.