A Maritime University student, Maung Htun Aung Lwin, son of a retired military serviceman from North Okkalapa Township in Yangon Region, was forcibly recruited by the military as a porter, according to his aunt Sanda Oo who sought help through social media. On August 9, Maung Htun Aung Lwin did not return home, and it wasn’t until the evening of August 13 that he contacted his family, informing them that he was at the General Administration Department in Hopong Township. He stated that he would be transferred to Ba Htoo Army Base the next morning, and that he had already signed a contract, making escape impossible.
After informing his family by phone that he had been forcibly taken and beaten by those who captured him, the family’s subsequent attempts to contact Maung Htun Aung Lwin were unsuccessful. His aunt revealed that the transportation of her nephew from North Okkalapa Township to Hopong Township was not conducted in good faith but was rather an act of abduction by recruiters. The incident has raised serious concerns about the military’s recruitment practices and the safety of young civilians.
Recently, the Yangon Region Military Recruitment Board issued a directive to township-level recruitment committees regarding the fulfillment of new recruit quotas. According to a member of a township recruitment committee, this has led to various methods of obtaining recruits, including forced recruitment and the practice of buying substitutes with money. Some townships resort to arresting young people at bus stops and intersections, while others collect money to purchase substitutes from poorer areas. The directive’s ambiguous nature has allowed townships to implement recruitment methods as they see fit, leading to concerning practices across different areas.
Throughout Yangon Region, there are reports of young people being forcibly recruited at bus stops and intersections by thugs and militia members working in coordination with local authorities. These arrests are reportedly being conducted with the approval of respective General Administration Departments. Additionally, in Yangon’s military service substitute market, the minimum price for a replacement recruit has reached 8 million kyats, highlighting the commodification of military service and the desperate measures being taken to meet recruitment quotas.
