A staff from One Stop Service Office (OSSO) told MPA, “The regime’s Bhamo District Administrator has instructed all regime’s departmental staff within Kachin State’s Bhamo District to work from home, on February 21.”
After the KIA-led joint forces had occupied the military junta camps _ around Mansi, Shwegu, Momauk, and Bhamo _ in Bhamo District, all the junta’s departmental staff were instructed to work from home.
“The joint force of KIA, AA, and KPDF are occupying the military camps in Mansi, Shwegu and Momauk in Bhamo District. So the junta asked their departmental staff of four townships to avoid fighting inside towns. Most of the staff have also come to Bhamo town,” said a staff from Bhamo One Stop Service Office.
Until now, the One Stop Service Office, Court Office, District Police Station, Forestry Office, Construction Office, Education Office and Agriculture Office have been operating only the departmental work inside the offices, he added.
“Mansi town is located below Bhamo town, and Momauk town is above, so all the departmental staff of these two cities have run away, and no one does anything. The district police office is still inside Bhamo town, so they are able to work. Half of Shwegu town has PDFs, so the non-CDMs do not dare to work much,” said an CDM officer at the Bhamo Forestry Office.
“The Hsikhamgyi military base in Mansi Township is also a central base. The KIA captured this main support unit. The junta supports the frontline camps around Bhamo town from Hsikhamgyi base, and the Military Operation Command 21 and the Infantry Battalion 47 are no longer military forces,” said a CDM sergeant from Bhamo town.
The heavy artillery shells fired by the Bhamo Infantry Battalion 47 hit Mansi Temple, Kaungya village and Marawati Wards on February 9 and 16, injuring a woman, according to a IDP woman who fled from Mansi town to Bhamo town.
“We see many strangers inside Bhamo town, and the military junta also do porters, arrests, and extortion money. They also arrest youth travelers,” said an unnamed woman from Nyaung Pin Ward in Bhamo.
The Hsikhamgyi Military Base in Mansi township was seized by the joint force of KIA, AA and KPDF on February 19.