Mizzima
Residents from Kawkareik Town reported that 16 civilians were abducted by Myanmar junta forces on the morning of 4 April in Kawkareik town. This area is situated more than 20 miles away from Myawaddy town, near the Karen-Thai border in Karen State, where conflicts are ongoing.
Sixteen civilians were taken by the junta’s combined forces from their homes in various downtown wards in Kawkareik Town, such as No. (5) Ward, No. (4) Ward, Shu Khin Thar and Auktaungthusu.
According to local residents, those arrested comprised of one woman and 15 men who had returned to their homes after fleeing the fighting.
A resident of Kawkareik said, “Junta soldiers arrived and made arrests, targeting innocent civilians from different wards in the town, among them a married couple, along with other males. We don’t know why they were arrested. Currently, battles are breaking out in town.”
A member of the resistance forces said, “The detained people must be released promptly; otherwise, any ensuing consequences cannot be attributed to our actions.”
The whereabouts of those arrested remained unknown, despite Mizzima’s attempts to reach out to the junta for comment.
The conflict between the junta’s forces and the joint revolutionary forces has escalated in Kawkareik Town since 1 January, a critical location on the Asia Highway facilitating trade between Myanmar and Thailand. By February, the National Unity Government (NUG) had asserted that the KNLA joint forces had taken control of over 60 per cent of the town.
On 3 April, the joint revolutionary forces made an attempt to seize control of Kawkareik, launching an assault on the junta’s Infantry Battalion No. (97) in the town, resulting in a significant confrontation.
