In Pyay Township, Bago Region, military forces and Pyu Saw Htee groups led by Major Zaw Myoe Naung and Police Major Thaik Lin have been conducting forced recruitment operations, resulting in the arrest of over 300 young people within two weeks, according to local residents and regional surveillance groups. From August 27 to September 10, for Military Service Batch 17, daily arrests have been carried out both day and night, with approximately 20 youths being detained each day. Those arrested include not only young people from Pyay but also travelers from other townships passing through the area.
The detained youths are being released only after paying ransoms ranging from 2.5 million to 5.5 million kyats per person, while those unable to pay are being sent to military training. These arrests in Pyay Township have taken on characteristics of kidnapping for ransom, severely affecting daily wage workers and laborers. The money collected from these arrests is primarily distributed by Major Zaw Myoe Naung from the Township Administration Team, with various levels of officials receiving their share of the extorted funds.
The military has implemented strict security measures in Pyay Township, including thorough guest registration checks and enhanced territorial security, citing concerns about possible People’s Defense Force infiltration. However, local military personnel, police, Pyu Saw Htee members, and administrative officials are exploiting this situation for financial gain. Typically, they collect between 600 to 800 young people per military service batch for recruitment into the military forces.
