SAGAING DIVISION – Mr. Htoo Khant Zaw (Amaethar), the information officer of Ye U based People’s Defence Comrade reported that nearly 100 young people were abducted from the express buses travelling across Ye U Township by the terrorist junta council for conscription in January.
Starting from January 1, nearly 100 young people on the express buses crossing Ye U Township were abducted and forcibly conscripted as the junta forces carried out the abductions almost daily. It is said that express buses from Ye U, Khin U, Shwebo, Sagaing, Mandalay, Monywa, Butalin, Chaung U and Myinmu were targeted.
On January 26 alone, ten young men were abducted from express buses and only five whose families could afford to pay money were released while the young people who couldn’t afford the ransom were detained at B.E.H.S. 1 and B.E.H.S. 2 in Ye U.
“All the cars passing through Ye U are checked thoroughly and they are abducting everyone. Extortion is also a motivation factor. If you pay the ransom money, you will be released after signing a guarantee. All the men on the buses are dragged down and abducted every day. We don’t know the exact number of young people abducted while traveling but it could be in the hundreds. Just on the 26th alone, ten people were abducted,” said Mr. Htoo Khant Zaw (Amaethar).
Meanwhile, the junta council is said to be preparing to abduct able-bodied young women in Ye U for conscription as well and because the young men in the town started fleeing, they began abducting LGBTQ people as well.
