Kokang Armed Group Using Local ID Registry for Forced Conscription, Residents Say

The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), a Kokang ethnic armed organization, is using a newly established civil registration system to conduct forced military recruitment in territories under its control in northern Shan State, residents and media reports say. The MNDAA recently launched a public service initiative to issue identification cards and household registration documents. According to The Kokang, a media outlet closely associated with the group, the MNDAA’s Kokang District Administration has issued ID cards to 62,630 residents and registered 18,356 households in recent months. However, locals allege the registration drive is a pretext to map the population for forced conscription. A resident from Pangkham (Panghsang), a town near the border, told the Shan Herald Agency for News that the MNDAA is systematically enforcing recruitment quotas based on the newly collected household data. Under the group's policy, households with two eligible men must provide one male recruit, while those with two eligible women must provide one female recruit. "Some families have fled to avoid the draft. In response, the MNDAA has confiscated the homes they left behind," the resident said, speaking on the condition of anonymity due to safety concerns. In Mongyai Township, located further south, the military draft has put village administrators in a precarious position. In May, the MNDAA ordered over 20 villages, including Hoya, Loingin, and Kawngmawng, to deliver at least one recruit per village. Local sources report that village tract leaders who failed to meet these quotas faced disciplinary action and, in some instances, physical assault by MNDAA officers. The conscription drive has hit border communities hard, particularly in towns like Pangkham and Monekoe. Even those who successfully petition to avoid frontline combat are reportedly forced into auxiliary roles under the MNDAA administration, including municipal work, firefighting, and community service. Despite fears of forced recruitment, many residents have felt compelled to apply for the MNDAA-issued ID cards. The documents are now required to cross the Wantein border checkpoint to seek employment on the Chinese side. Securing the ID cards, however, has become a lucrative business for middlemen. Residents report paying Chinese brokers between 4,000 and 6,000 yuan ($550 to $825 USD) per card to navigate the application process. The MNDAA did not respond to requests for comment regarding the allegations. Since capturing significant territory from the Myanmar military during late 2023 and 2024, the Kokang armed group has been working to formalize its administrative grip on northern Shan State. However, residents living under its authority report growing anxiety over the high cost of living, strict travel regulations, and the constant threat of forced military service.