Escalating KIA Conscription Drives Compound Hardships for Displaced Families Near China Border

Internally displaced persons (IDPs) taking refuge in Loije sub-township along the China-Myanmar border face worsening humanitarian distress as intensified military conscription by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) restricts civilian movement and separates families. Displaced since early 2024 due to intense clashes between the military regime and the KIA across Mong Mauk (Momauk) Township, more than 300 Shan IDP families across border settlements—including Mang Gaw Kawng and Loi Hein Sai—are struggling to secure daily livelihoods.