Local residents report that the military has forcibly recruited 48 young people from villages in Aunglan Township, Magway Region, as porters. The military forces began conducting raids on villages in Aunglan Township from March 1, arresting young people as part of their operations. Due to the military’s demand for 60 new recruits, a team led by former warrant officer Pyu Saw Htee Leader Myint Lwin has been conducting daily arrests of young people, including those commuting to work and pedestrians in the area.
As a result of these forced recruitment activities by the Pyu Saw Htee groups, local youth have become afraid to go to work and are fleeing their villages to avoid capture. Additionally, in Kanma town, Captain Htet Nyein Chan Lwin from KaPaSa 12 is demanding 12 million kyats monthly from each village as a military service fee. Captain Htet Nyein Chan Lwin has been collecting monthly military service fees from villages in Kanma town and threatening that young people selected for military service must pay 12 million kyats if they wish to avoid conscription.
Reports indicate that Captain Htet Nyein Chan Lwin is arresting young people from outside the villages where he has collected money and forcing them into military service. He has also established a checkpoint near Kanma town where passing youth are being detained as porters. According to local residents, the military is systematically engaging in forced recruitment, extortion, and intimidation of young people. These circumstances have created an atmosphere of fear and anxiety among local communities, who are deeply concerned about the safety of their youth. The situation continues to deteriorate as the military intensifies its forced recruitment campaign and financial exploitation of local villages.
