Five Shan-ni women residing in a village along the eastern bank of Indawgyi Lake in Mohnyin Township were deceived and coerced into engaging in prostitution, according to villagers.

On June 18, a woman from Nam Maw Kan village, located on the east bank of Indawgyi Lake,  took five women from the village to work at a restaurant in Longkhin village, Hpakant township.

Upon reaching Longkhin Village, Hpakant Township, they made a stop in front of the Nuns Monastery near Phan Khar Saung. From there, they were transferred to another vehicle and taken to the prostitution house located in Uru Zut Aing Village.

"The woman employed them at a restaurant, offering a monthly wage of 300,000 kyats. Since it was not the rice harvest season, they sought other means to earn income. She covered their travel expenses and provided transportation. However upon arrival, they were unaware that it was a brothel; they believed it to be a massage parlor. They arrived expecting to work at a restaurant, so they told them they can't do this kind of work," explained a local familiar with the incident.

Upon reaching Longkhin Village in Hpakant Township, the five villagers expressed their refusal to work as prostitutes, leading to a dispute with the brothel. In order to seek assistance, they contacted the village elders from nearby villages in the Indawgyi region.

In response to their plea for assistance, Shan-ni organizations in Longkhin village took immediate action and successfully facilitated the return of the five villagers. On the evening of June 18, when they reached Longkhin village, the Shanni organizations promptly brought the five villagers back.

The five villagers who fell victim to deception are Shan-ni individuals, consisting of an 18-year-old woman, two women in their 20s, and two women in their 30s. The individual responsible for the deception was a 20-year-old woman.

"I urge people to conduct thorough research and investigation before going anywhere. As parents, I want to emphasize the importance of understanding where our children are going to work. Tragic incidents occurred due to the lack of proper inquiry, which could have been prevented," expressed a resident of the village.

At 3:00 p.m. on June 20, officials from Longkhin village reunited the five villagers, who were deceitfully taken, with their parents. This incident is reported to be the first of its kind in the Indawgyi region.