In Three Pagodas Pass town on the Thailand-Myanmar border, a case of a missing child under the age of 10 remains unresolved, with no substantial updates to date. Local authorities have been criticized for their lack of coordinated efforts to address the issue, according to residents of the area.
Since October, as many as 13 children have gone missing in the town, including seven children on a single day, December 6. The total number of missing children has now exceeded 20.
The repeated occurrences of missing children have caused parents and guardians to report the incidents to local armed groups and administrative councils. However, no concrete responses or actions have been reported back to the community, said the local.
“Parents have approached DKBA and KNU for help, and we’ve heard they searched or made inquiries. But no results came out of it. There hasn’t been any communication about whether they found anything or not, either online or within the community. Neither the administration nor other charitable groups have actively helped in the search,” the resident said.
As a result, concerns among the town’s residents have escalated, with fears for the safety and well-being of the children growing due to the prolonged disappearances.
This has led to extreme caution among parents, some of whom are refraining from sending their children to school, considering it risky.
“Some parents are too scared to let their children go to school because the schools are far from home, and they’re worried the kids could be abducted on the way. They say the children are being kidnapped, and their organs, like hearts and kidneys, are being sold to Chinese buyers,” said a concerned mother.
The disappearances, which began in October, were initially overlooked by locals but have now escalated to 20 reported cases. A four-year-old child from Ward 1 who went missing in November is still unaccounted for.
Many locals suspect the increasing presence of Chinese nationals in the area may be linked to the incidents.
Three Pagodas Pass town is home to several armed groups, including the New Mon State Party (NMSP), the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA), the Karen National Union (KNU), the People’s Defense Force (PDF), and the Border Guard Force (BGF). Of these, DKBA reportedly holds significant military control in the area.
In addition to the diverse armed group activities, the town’s lack of proper rule of law has been worsened by an increasing number of Chinese nationals and those of Chinese descent settling there. This has coincided with a rise in illegal weapon possession, crime, abductions, and murders, further destabilizing the community.
