Local residents report that 18 young people who were detained as forced porters by the military council at the General Administration Department office in Minhla Township, Bago Region, have escaped, prompting the military to lock down the town in search of the escapees. On the evening of August 2, 19 youth who had been forcibly taken as porters from various villages within Minhla Township managed to escape from the General Administration Department office when military council troops temporarily left the premises.
While the military council forces managed to recapture one person, the remaining 18 are still at large. In response, military council troops have blocked all entry and exit points to the town and are conducting searches using photographs to identify the escaped youth. According to local residents, the military council regularly conducts forced porter recruitment in villages throughout Minhla Township, forcibly collecting approximately 100 young people monthly to serve as new recruits and sending them to training camps.
The military council’s practice of forced porter recruitment has caused widespread fear among local residents, with some fleeing their homes to avoid capture. Military forces regularly raid villages and arrest males between the ages of 18 and 45, who are then either used as porters in military operations or forcibly recruited as new soldiers. Local sources indicate that these forced recruitment drives have intensified in recent months, severely impacting the lives of residents in Minhla Township and surrounding areas. The military council’s actions continue to demonstrate their oppressive tactics against civilians, using them for military purposes against their will and violating basic human rights.
