Kantarawaddy Times
According to the Karenni Human Rights Group (KnHRG), a total of 20 civilians were arrested in Karenni State during March.
U Ba Nyar, founder of the KnHRG, told Kantarawaddy Times that the arrests occurred during phone data checks on people who re-entered to Loikaw from other areas.
“Most of the arrests happened in Loikaw. Actually, all of them were in Loikaw. As you know, people have been returning to the city, and many of them were arrested. From what we’ve gathered, most were detained near the sports field, which we call the ‘Sports Science’ area. People were often caught after military junta soldiers checked their phones for information. Some were arrested for participating in the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM). Those are the main reasons” U Ba Nyar said.
KnHRG did not provide detailed information about the current conditions of the 20 individuals who were arrested.
Among those detained are CDM participants. Most of the arrested are men, with around five women also included, according to U Ba Nyar.
According to local sources, the military junta has been conducting inspections at checkpoints and closely monitoring mobile money transfer accounts. These checks are also believed to be linked to the arrests.
Additionally, KnHRG reported on April 8 that, in the same month of March, five civilians were killed and 32 injured due to ongoing conflict.
The five casualties included a child killed by artillery shelling, a woman and a man killed in an airstrike, a man killed by a landmine, and another man killed in a drone attack.
Residents say that even in non-combat areas, the military frequently targets civilians with attacks and forced inspections.
