Locals from Lui Vang, An Thaw, Lei Sin, Dai Hnan, and La Lui village tract were selected and forcibly made to participate in militia training that commenced last April.

Colonel San Aung issued a directive to five village tracts that 10 locals from the earmarked villages must join the militia training that is being serially launched once a month.

“It is terrible to attend the training when we are struggling to support our families. Since the training takes the whole month, we get no time for cultivation,” said a local.

The training by military authorities does not provide for food and other necessities for trainees. The locals are told to manage rations during the training.

Though militia trainees have to be over 18 years of age, the authorities are said to have involved under age locals of around 16 years old in the recently held training.

“We attended the training because of the order, though we were bored stiff. We were forced to work in tea plantations in the army camp before the training,” said a local who joined the militia training in April.

It was also learnt that a transfer order for Colonel San Aung from the new capital of Myanmar in Naypidaw was issued in the first week of April. The Colonel is being shifted to Monywe town in Sagaing division.

The Myanmar military regime in Chin state holds militia training for civilians every year where locals from different villages are forcibly made to attend. – KNG.