Three young men who visited the walking Thingyan festival at Yangon’s People’s Square were forcibly arrested by the military for conscription into military service. The arrested individuals were identified as Ko Phyo Ko Zin, age 27, and his two friends, who were residing in a hostel on Thiri Zeya Street, Level 5 Ward, near Bogyoke Bus Stop in Hlaing Thayar Township. They were industrial zone workers who were arrested on April 15, during the main Thingyan festival day, after becoming involved in an altercation with other youths while under the influence of alcohol at the festival.
According to friends of the detained individuals, they were arrested by plainclothes military personnel and taken to the military recruitment center in Shwepyithar. The arresting officers threatened them with charges of public intoxication and assault if they refused military service, forcing them to sign agreements to enlist. The military personnel also instructed them to have their belongings from their hostel brought to the recruitment center. The three young men are originally from Magway Region and had been working at a rice processing factory in the Hlaing Thayar Industrial Zone. All three are single and had been regularly providing financial support to their parents.
The military council informed them that they would be required to attend military training after the Thingyan festival period, promising a monthly salary of approximately 200,000 kyats during the training period. They were also told they would receive full salary and rations upon completing the training and becoming active military personnel. This incident is part of the military council’s broader campaign to forcibly recruit soldiers for their 12th intake of military training scheduled for April. The military council has been increasingly engaging in forced recruitment and porter service arrests throughout the region.
This forced conscription of civilians into military service represents a clear violation of human rights and international law by the military council. The practice of forcing civilians into military service through threats and coercion has become increasingly common as the military council attempts to bolster its forces. Such actions demonstrate the continuing pattern of human rights abuses perpetrated by the military council against its own citizens, as they struggle to maintain control through force and intimidation. The incident has raised serious concerns among local communities and human rights organizations about the military’s ongoing practice of forced recruitment and its impact on civilian lives.
