A defected soldier named Maung Maung Win revealed on July 31st that in the battles taking place in Kyaukphyu, Rakhine State, conscripted soldiers are being forced to fight on the frontlines, and when killed, their bodies are discarded like dead animals without proper burial. Maung Maung Win, who resided in Thaketa village, Mingaladon Township, Yangon Region, and originally from Dipayun village in Punnakyun Township, Rakhine State, was forcibly recruited into the military. On March 5th, while returning from work in the evening, he visited a friend’s house and was arrested around 11 PM by ward administrators who accused him of motorcycle theft and sent him to the military.
He was sent to No. 1 Kyaw Phyu Training School in Hmawbi Township for the 11th batch of military training, after which he was deployed to the frontlines in Kyaukphyu Township, Rakhine State. After completing the training, they were ordered to prepare for operations and were transported to Kyaukphyu via Thilawa Port. He reported that a group of 13 servicemen, including Captain Hein Htet San, arrived in Kyaukphyu on June 29, 2023. On the frontlines in Kyaukphyu, new conscripts are forced to fight in the most dangerous positions, and when they are killed, their bodies are buried in shallow graves barely one foot deep, with only nominal burial ceremonies.
Maung Maung Win explained that the military threatens to shoot conscripts from behind if they refuse to advance, and they face attacks if they retreat from losing battles. He emphasized that the military shows complete disregard for the lives of new conscripts, treating them as disposable assets. The conscripts are subjected to severe psychological pressure and physical threats, being forced to engage in combat without proper training or protection. The military’s treatment of these forced recruits demonstrates a systematic pattern of human rights violations and disregard for human life.
Currently, the military council is conducting aggressive forced recruitment campaigns in major cities, including Yangon, as they struggle to meet recruitment targets for the 16th batch of military training. Local residents report that the military is conducting raids and forcibly conscripting young people without any legal process or consideration for their rights. This forced conscription and human rights violations have created a severe crisis, putting the lives of young people at grave risk. The situation highlights the military’s desperate measures to maintain its forces while showing complete disregard for human rights and dignity.
