Kachin forces abduct 6 locals in Muse

Mekong, July 4 Six local men from Manpha village, Muse Township, Shan State, have been abducted by Kachin forces (MNDAA) and have not yet been released, according to local sources. The six men from Manpha (Phagop) village were abducted by Kachin forces on June 28 and have not been released to date, causing their families to worry about their lives. According to a source, the abduction occurred after local residents reprimanded a woman from the village and a man from another village for engaging in an extramarital affair. One person familiar with the incident said, "A woman from the village was having an affair with a man from another village while her husband was away. This was not the first or second time, so the villagers repeatedly called both of them and told them not to do such things. They did not listen. We told them that if they wanted to be together, they should divorce the current husband and then be together legally, but they did not listen. So this time, the villagers beat them and reprimanded them. Because of this, they were unhappy and reported it to the Kachin forces, who then came and abducted all the men from the village." The source added that Manpha village has only 10 households, so the six local men abducted by the Kachin forces represent all the young men in the village. "Although six people were abducted, the village is very small, so it's like all the young men in the entire village were abducted. It is currently the farming season, so work has been disrupted. They have not been released yet, and we are worried about their lives," the source said. Furthermore, local sources reported that the Kachin forces are demanding a fine of 500 Yuan (approximately 350,000 Kyats) per person from the abducted youths, causing them difficulties. Local residents are concerned that the Kachin forces' action of abducting and fining local residents who tried to stop those engaging in social misconduct will not resolve the issue but will rather escalate it.