Ten young men who were among the locals abducted by the junta in early August, after returning from a church service in Hakha, the capital of Chin State, were released on October 5.
With the release of 10 more young people, only six of the abducted youths remain in junta custody.
“On the evening of October 5, another ten people were released, but six are still being held. The ones who were freed hadn’t done anything wrong — and the same goes for those still in detention. We’re hoping they’ll be released soon as well. It looks like the junta isn’t freeing everyone at once, but rather in small groups,” a Hakha resident said.
On August 3, junta troops abducted around 40 young people who were at a tea shop on the Hakha-Gangaw Road after returning from a service at Hakha Baptist Church.
Among them, seven students and a young man who had just been discharged from the hospital were released by the junta in August. The remaining detainees were freed in subsequent batches, leaving only six people still in custody.