Masses of residents have fled the town of Hpakant, Kachin State since last week as clashes intensified between regime forces and a coalition of fighters led by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA).
The KIA and its allies began enforcing a blockade of most routes into Hpakant—the main hub for jade production in Myanmar—after fighting broke out on September 7 in the large village of Hseng Taung, located south of the Uyu River opposite Hpakant’s urban centre.
The clashes, centred in Hseng Taung, show no sign of subsiding after more than 30 civilian deaths from shelling and airstrikes in Hpakant Township. Thousands of residents have fled their homes in the township in the past few days, according to a source connected with the KIA in Hpakant.
“Many of those who fled were from Hpakant. Today, residents from outside the town and people with homes in lower. . .
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