22 April 2026 By Nway
HPAKANT, Myanmar — In a move widely condemned as a direct assault on healthcare services, Myanmar military forces and allied militias have raided a private hospital in the jade-mining hub of Hpakant, beating and detaining more than 20 people, including doctors, nurses, and patients.
The raid on the “Mai” Private Hospital in Aung Yar village occurred at approximately 7:30 PM on Tuesday. Witnesses reported that two military columns converged on the site—one laying in ambush around the perimeter while the other stormed the building.
“The soldiers forced the doctors and nurses to kneel in the reception area,” a resident of the Lonkhin village tract told MPA. “Then they dragged the lead doctor, Dr. Yar Zar Tun, outside and beat him repeatedly. They were shouting at him, cursing them for being doctors. They also seized a patient and three bystanders, along with the hospital’s Starlink satellite kit, cash, and mobile phones.”
The confirmed list of detainees includes Dr. Yar Zar Tun and ten nurses—Ma Nyo Nyo Aung, Ma Aye Mon Mon Kyaw, Ko Hein Htet Zaw, Ko Chit Naing Naing, Ma Zu Zu Aung, Ma May Thu Kyaw, Ma Ja Mai, Ma Pyae Pyae, Ma Wun Thiri, and Ko Ye Htet Khaing. Two cooks, two receptionists, five labourers, and four civilians were also taken away.
Locals believe the raid was a retaliatory strike. “There are rumours that they targeted the hospital because they suspected the staff of treating injured resistance fighters,” the resident added. “The soldiers were shouting, ‘Are you the ones treating them?’ It might also be a reaction to a drone attack on junta troops that occurred in the village earlier that afternoon.”
The raiding party reportedly included not only regular junta soldiers but also members of the Wara Zup People’s Militia and the Zakhung Ting Ying Militia. The current whereabouts of the 23 detainees remain unknown, raising grave concerns about their safety and potential torture under interrogation.
The Mai Private Hospital has long served as a vital healthcare pillar for the Hpakant community, which often faces isolation due to ongoing conflict. The sudden removal of its core medical staff has left the region with severely diminished emergency services.
Human rights organisations have repeatedly flagged the Myanmar military’s pattern of targeting medical personnel since the 2021 coup, describing it as a strategic effort to dismantle any support systems for the pro-democracy movement. For the people of Hpakant, the loss of their primary clinic is yet another grim chapter in a war that increasingly knows no boundaries, even in places of healing.
