The Military Council conducted a raid on a tax office run by the 36th Battalion, which falls under the 6th Brigade of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), located in Muse Township in northern Shan State, locals said.
On May 20th at approximately 6:00 am the Military Council raided a house in Zau Bung Nam Gat village near the 105-Mile point in Muse Township. This house was being used as a tax office by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). During the raid, the Military Council confiscated various items found inside the house.
The soldiers also proceeded to interrogate the nearby local civilians who were present in the vicinity of the house.
“This raid appears to be a follow-up to the recent incident where KIA's tax collectors were apprehended by the Military Council in Namhpatkar. It seems that this raid was conducted due to the connection between the individuals involved, and their previous residence in Zau Bung Nam Gat. Initially, three villagers from the area were also taken into custody by the Military Council but were subsequently released”, a villager told KNG.
Following a raid by the Military Council troops, the tax office building was targeted, resulting in the seizure of documents, equipment, and motorcycles found on the premises. A village elder, a Christian minister, and a civilian were also apprehended during the raid.
All three individuals were released on May 22nd at approximately 7:00 pm, following the intervention of local residents who had tracked the troops and fervently pleaded for their freedom.
In Namhpatkar on May 18th, the Military Council apprehended five tax office collectors from the KIA who were en route to Kutkai for tax collection purposes.
Following the initial arrest, the Military Council conducted the aforementioned raid on the tax office in Zau Bung Nam Gat, leading to the seizure of documents and seven motorcycles, while the office staff managed to evade capture in time, a local woman said.
“I personally witnessed the soldiers loading three boxes and several motorcycles onto a tractor trailer during the raid on the tax office, but I did not see tax money being confiscated. It appears that approximately six or seven motorcycles were seized. The soldiers confiscated everything they came across without exception. The sudden arrival of the soldiers caused immediate panic among the villagers, who were gripped with deep concern for the safety and well-being of our village," reported a concerned woman from Zau Bung Nam Gat.
According to the villagers, following the raid on the tax office by the Military Council, troops from the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) arrived and are currently stationed in and around the village.
The Military Council issued a warning to KIA, demanding them to leave the area, and reportedly made threats of conducting airstrikes if their demands were not met, locals claimed.
On a daily basis, in northern Shan State, there are ongoing and intricate military conflicts between the Military Council, militia groups, TNLA, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), and KIA.
