Military council troops stationed at checkpoints along the Pathein-Monywa road in Upper Minbu Township, Magway Region, are arbitrarily detaining civilian vehicles and forcibly confiscating goods, according to local residents and a spokesperson from the Minbu Township People’s Defense Force. The military personnel at Kanhtut and Shan Army checkpoints have been stopping and seizing market vehicles and cargo trucks belonging to both travelers and local residents. After detaining the vehicles, the soldiers are confiscating consumer goods, food items, and fuel carried on the trucks, while also impounding the vehicles themselves.
The military council troops are threatening civilians with weapons and demanding money, implementing a ‘four cuts’ strategy in the area. They are reportedly selling the seized vehicles and motorcycles, dividing the proceeds among themselves. Some of the affected individuals are hired drivers who have been forced to pay tens of millions of kyats in ransom to recover their vehicles from the military council forces. The soldiers are also reselling confiscated goods in outside markets and sharing the profits. This systematic extortion and theft has severely impacted local businesses and created significant hardships for civilians who rely on daily income for their livelihood.
Local sources report that the military council troops are operating with complete impunity, using threats of violence to enforce their demands. The checkpoints have become points of systematic robbery where soldiers not only seize vehicles and goods but also engage in extortion by demanding large sums of money for the return of property. The situation has created a climate of fear among local transporters and merchants, disrupting the normal flow of goods and services in the region. The military’s actions represent a broader pattern of economic exploitation and oppression of civilians, with soldiers freely converting stolen goods and extorted money into personal profit through illegal resale activities.
