Local residents have reported that military-appointed ward administrators and members of the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) are conducting widespread forced recruitment for military service and porter duties in Yangon, Magway, and Ayeyarwady Regions. In Kyutakseik Ward of Mingalar Taung Nyunt Township, Yangon Region, a group led by USDP member Khin Khin San has been collecting 20,000 kyats monthly from residents under the guise of military service fees. Those unable to pay are being threatened with forced enrollment in military training.
In No. 8 Ward of East Dagon Myothit Township, administrator Hla Thein has been forcing young people listed for military service to participate in a lottery system for recruitment, causing many youth to flee the area. The administrator has also brought in groups of thugs to assist in intimidating and arresting young people in the ward. Similarly, in Ward 3 of Mayangone Township, the administrative team has been distributing military service documents to young people and conducting forced recruitment through a lottery system.
In Thawartoe Village of Ingapu Township, Ayeyarwady Region, ten-household leader Aung Myint Oo has been organizing a lottery system to select individuals between the ages of 35 and 55 for what they claim to be village defense forces. The situation has created widespread fear and uncertainty among local communities. On April 3rd in Salin Town, Magway Region, military forces forcibly arrested five young people who were trading at the central market area for porter service. Military personnel in civilian vehicles have been conducting arrests throughout Salin Town, causing significant anxiety among local residents.
These forced recruitment practices have led to widespread displacement as young people flee their homes to avoid conscription. Families are experiencing increasing distress and concern for the safety of their loved ones. The military council’s aggressive recruitment tactics, implemented through local administrative structures and USDP members, have created an atmosphere of fear and instability in these regions. Local communities report that these forced recruitment drives have intensified recently, with authorities using various forms of coercion, including financial extortion and threats of physical force, to meet their recruitment goals.
