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KACHIN STATE – Two backhoe drivers, a father and son, from a gold mine were abducted by junta troops that invaded Ngarbatgyi Village in western Shwegu Township, according to local residents.
Around 80 junta soldiers are said to have invaded Ngarbatgyi Village on Wednesday (June 7) night and abducted the two people.
A Shwegu resident said of the incident, “Junta soldiers went towards Ngarbatgyi in six vehicles. They ordered the workers to stop working on the gold mine and abducted the two backhoe drivers, father and son, who they ran into. I heard that the workers were ordered at gun point.”
The two people abducted are said to be residents of Ngarbatgyi Village and they, along with a seized backhoe, were reportedly brought to the junta battalion base in Shwegu.
It was also reported that junta forces went around in six vehicles in the vicinity of Ngarbatgyi and launched offensives.
Another local woman said, “It looked like they were sending back the soldiers that came back from the front lines. Maybe to also serve as a show of strength, they filled up six vehicles (with their troops). And it’s true that they abducted (the two civilians). It happened yesterday (June 7) but things have been quiet today.”
The details of the two civilians abducted by junta forces are still under investigation and it is not yet known if they are released yet.
In Shwegu Township junta troops frequently conduct similar raids on illegal gold mines and abduct people. On February 23, the junta council recklessly bombed the people panning for gold at the Irrawaddy River Bank near Tinbawinn to the east of Ngapaukwa Village without any battle in the area, killing two gold panners.
Illegal gold mining along the Irrawaddy River Bank has increased since the military coup and although the junta council had made arrests, they were mainly for show and the arrested people would be immediately released after paying up.