Lway June Moe, May 27, Mong Kung
The Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA) has yet to release two child hostages, despite the villagers in Pan Moon, Khay Ohn Awe village tract, Mong Kung Township, southern Shan State, providing new recruits, according to an investigation of Shwe Phee Myay.
On May 19, around 7 a.m., SSPP troops under Major Sai Kwam arrested Lway Aye On, 13, and Lway Aye Htwe, 12, from Pan Moon village while the girls were en route to a tea farm. The SSPP major subsequently demanded villagers provide a male recruit in exchange for the young girls’ release.
Villagers initially sent one man to the SSPP, but he escaped. Consequently, they selected another man from a different village again to volunteer for the children’s release and sent him. However, according to the residents, the SSPP troops have not yet released two young underaged girls.
To secure two volunteers from other villages to serve in the SSPP, Pan Moon villagers—primarily the families and relatives of the child hostages—paid between 280,000 and 400,000 kyats to each volunteer’s family.
“We paid between 280,000 and 400,000 kyats for volunteers from other villages because we couldn’t find anyone in the village willing to exchange themselves for the release of the hostages,” a resident explained.
After the first volunteer escaped, Pan Moon villagers hired another man for 8 million kyats to serve as a recruit and sent him to the SSPP. However, the armed group has still not released the child hostages. Instead, SSPP troops led by Maj. Sai Kwam are now forcing villagers to send yet another recruit.
“They told us again that the children will be released if we send one more man. The children aren’t released yet. Before, they just said to send one more man. So now, we have to find another man,” said a resident.
Currently, two underage girls are being forced to serve SSPP troops, cooking meals and performing other chores at one of their outposts near Lwal Khuu village in Mong Kung Township.
In previous years, the SSPP recruited one man from each village in Mong Kung Township, including Lone San, Nawng Taw, Kone Paung, Lwal Ywal, Mauk Lyan, Naung San Hpoo, Ton Law, Pan Kaytu, Ham Naing, and Hokhe. However, since January of this year, the SSPP has attempted to recruit one man from each household in these areas, according to residents.
Translated by #KLT
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