Local residents report that military council forces and police have set up checkpoints at the entrance of Htonebow town in Bago Region’s Pantanaw Township, where they are extorting 200,000 kyats per vehicle under the pretext of security measures. Since March, soldiers and police from the Htonebow police station have been operating daily checkpoints near the town entrance sign, arbitrarily stopping vehicles and demanding money from travelers passing through the area.
Additionally, the forces have been seizing three-wheeled motorcycles used by local residents, only releasing them after collecting tens of thousands of kyats in ransom payments, citing security reasons. These extortion practices have severely disrupted daily transportation for local civilians. According to a local resident, the military council forces are indiscriminately seizing any three-wheeled motorcycles they find on the roads and demanding money, significantly impacting people’s daily economic and social activities.
Currently, fighting is ongoing between the Arakan Army (AA) and military forces in Pantanaw and Othitpin townships of Bago Region. The military council has been continuously reinforcing troops in these areas and preparing defensive positions. Furthermore, security measures have been tightened in these regions, and young people are being forcibly recruited into people’s militia and military service, according to local sources. The military’s presence and activities have created an atmosphere of fear and economic hardship for local residents, who are struggling with both the conflict situation and the systematic extortion at checkpoints.
