Military authorities and administrative bodies are reportedly conducting forced recruitment and arrests of young people for Military Service Batch 12 in Dagon Myothit (East) Township in Yangon Region, Shwetaung Township in Bago Region, and Taungdwingyi Township in Magway Region. In Ward 8 of Dagon Myothit (East) Township, administrator Hla Thein has been issuing summons to young people for military service, targeting both those who were previously selected through a lottery system and those who were not. This forced recruitment has caused significant distress among young people and their parents.
In Shartaing village of Shwetaung Township, village administrator Hla Han brought military forces to arrest two young men from the village for Military Service Batch 12, which is scheduled to begin this month. When the military entered the village to make arrests, some youth attempted to flee, prompting the soldiers to fire warning shots. The two arrested young men were taken to Infantry Battalion 14. According to local sources, this incident occurred after the administrator failed to collect 1.5 million kyats from the village to pay military service fees, leading him to facilitate the direct arrest of young people by the military.
Similarly, in Ohnhnettan village of Taungdwingyi Township, village administrator Zaw Oo has been summoning young people for Military Service Batch 12 and threatening those who refuse to serve with regular monthly fees. The military service fee has increased from 60,000 kyats per household to 100,000 kyats. Villagers are reportedly too afraid of retaliation from the administrator to speak out against these practices. The administrator, a former member of the Union Solidarity and Development Party, has been particularly targeting young people from families who oppose him, forcing them into military service. The military council has been continuously conducting military service batches since May 2024, with Batch 12 being the latest in this series of monthly recruitments.
