αααΊαΈαα±α¬αΊ π₯More than four months after the military junta took office, the city is still full of drugs and crimes
Local sources said that the military junta is secretly arresting those who have been involved with the Kokang Army (MNDAA) in Lashio City in northern Shan State through informants.
In order to facilitate the Kokang Army (MNDAA) administration in Lashio City, some Lashio residents who speak Kokang have been employed as interpreters in ward offices. Now, the military junta is arresting not only those who have been involved in these activities, but also some who have been involved with the Kokang Army (MNDAA).
βWhen there were Kokang, the military junta was arresting people who worked as Kokang interpreters, those who worked as interpreters in the ward offices,β
a Lashio resident told BBM. The military junta returned to Lashio in April 2025 with Chinese intervention, and began arresting more than a month after they entered.
The military junta is said to have arrested not only those who had contacts with Kokang forces, but also some Taung (Palaung) residents of the city on allegations of having ties to the TNLA.
The military junta’s arrests are based on information received from its reliable informants, and there have been cases of airstrikes since the Kokang regime.
“They haven’t been arrested yet. They cleaned up their place and started a month ago. Some of the soldiers went to the Theinni and Lauk Kai groups. They went with the Kokang. If they stayed, it wouldn’t be safe. The military junta would catch them, and if they were suspicious, they would arrest them whenever they wanted.The Palaung children were arrested. If they had no connection with the Palaung army, they would be released. Such news doesn’t go online much. They were arrested through Facebook accounts,”
the local added. The military junta has been arresting people who have been associated with their group, so earlier this month, officials from the Kokang army came to Lashio to discuss and demand that the arrests not be made.
In addition, although the military junta’s administrative mechanism has been in operation for more than (4) months in Lashio, electricity, water,and telephone and internet connections are still not available regularly.
In addition, despite the presence of police under the military junta in the city, opium and drugs are easily traded and looted, and robberies are also common.
He added that people are responsible for their own security and are living in a situation where they have to avoid their own risks when it comes to crime in the city.
“There are many opium thieves in the city, and you can buy drugs as much as you want.In bars and clubs, thieves also rob shops.There are also robberies while parked. Also, there is no electricity, so it is not convenient to travel in the evening. It is better not to go on deserted roads, otherwise people may get robbed by a motorcycle,”
a local added. The military junta is taking steps to restore the administrative apparatus after it lost Lashio, Naung Cho and Thabeikkyin during Operation 1027, and has regained the city of Naung Cho.
