According to sources from the Naypyidaw Military Recruitment Office, hundreds of complaints are being filed daily to Naypyidaw regarding military service recruitment fraud, extortion of military service fees, and group arrests of young people for military service across Myanmar. Although the military council has announced through their daily propaganda newspapers that people can report financial exploitation and corruption related to military recruitment, most cases submitted to military leaders remain unaddressed despite being reported.
The complaints include both phone reports and written submissions, with some cases including complete identification details such as NRC numbers, names, and addresses, yet there is virtually no action taken on these reports. The current lack of response to complaints is attributed to the ongoing high monthly demand for new military recruits on the ground, leading authorities to deliberately overlook these issues rather than take effective action. Officials appear to be prioritizing recruitment numbers over addressing misconduct.
Even young people from military officer families and non-CDM civil servant circles are being detained for forced military service while going out in public. While some cases have been resolved through payments of millions of kyats (hundreds of lakhs), many remain unresolved. For example, on August 9, Maung Htun Aung Lwin, a Maritime University student and son of a retired military serviceman, was forcibly recruited while returning to his home in North Okkalapa Township. He remains unable to be retrieved and continues to attend military training school. This demonstrates how the military council’s desperate need for recruits has led them to target even those connected to their own institution, with money being the only way out for some while others remain trapped in forced service.
