Local residents report that three young people who were attempting to travel to Kalay town for overseas employment were arrested by the military forces and forcibly recruited into the people’s militia in Kalay Township, Sagaing Region. The incident occurred on August 8th when eight people, including five women and three men from Yayshin village in southern Kalay, were traveling to the town with the intention of seeking work abroad.
Upon their arrival in town, the military forces detained the entire group and forcibly recruited three young men – Maung Yan Kyaw Min, Maung Lin Kyaw, and Maung Pyae Phyo Aung – into the people’s militia. The three young men who were detained are only around twenty years of age, while the five women were subsequently released. Local residents report that the military forces are currently conducting arrests of suspicious individuals in Kalay town and using them as porters.
Additionally, in other townships, the military forces are continuously arresting young people and using them as porters due to their need for new recruits. They are also implementing restrictions on youth leaving the country for foreign employment. These circumstances have created significant challenges for young people attempting to seek better opportunities abroad for their future. The military’s actions of forced recruitment and restrictions on movement have severely impacted the youth’s ability to pursue legitimate employment opportunities outside the country.
