Local residents have reported that in Kankalay (M) village of Hmawbi Township, Yangon Region, the military-appointed administrator is forcibly collecting military service fees from villagers every two months. The village tract administrator Maung Zaw (aka) Khin Zaw Oo has been collecting mandatory fees from residents for the 12th military service batch, with different amounts being imposed on households across various villages within the administrative area.
In Kankalay (M) village, each household is required to pay 50,000 kyats, while in Asu Lay village the amount is 112,000 kyats, and in Konkalay (Kan) village, it’s 50,000 kyats per household every two months. These collections are being made without any transparent accounting or official documentation, with the administrators allegedly using their connections with township authorities for personal gain. Furthermore, the administrator has been increasing the collection amounts, ranging from 50,000 to 80,000 kyats per household in some areas, and from 112,000 to 200,000 kyats in others.
Local residents are reportedly taking high-interest loans to pay these mandatory fees out of fear of being conscripted into military service, causing severe financial hardship and livelihood challenges for many families. Similarly, in Monyo Township of Bago Region, military-appointed administrators are using armed threats to collect military service fees. In Letpankhan village tract and surrounding villages of Monyo Township, administrator Bhoga and his subordinate Nay Lin Oo are leading efforts to collect 40,000 kyats every fifteen days from households listed for military service, while homes not on the conscription list are required to pay 15,000 kyats bi-weekly. Reports indicate that those unable to pay are being threatened at gunpoint, and the administrators are also extorting money by detaining motorcycles, causing increasing hardship for local residents who are already struggling to make ends meet.
