A 35-year-old man named Ko Wai Phyo Maung was beaten and arrested by military forces while attempting to obtain an identification card at the Immigration Department office in Salin Township, Magway Region. The incident occurred around 10:30 AM on September 2, when Ko Wai Phyo Maung, accompanied by his wife, visited the office from Kyauk Ye Tone village. According to local sources, immigration office staff reportedly informed the military about his presence at the office.
After brutally beating Ko Wai Phyo Maung, military personnel took him to the Salin Township Police Station, where he remains in detention without being allowed to meet with family members. Eyewitnesses reported that his wife was left crying by the roadside after the incident. Local residents revealed that immigration office staff regularly inform the military about young people who come to obtain identification documents, leading to their arrest and forced conscription as porters for the military.
In April of this year, urban revolutionary forces in Salin had attacked the immigration office and warned against the practice of reporting civilians seeking identification documents to the military for forced porter duty. However, immigration staff continue to collaborate with the military in arresting civilians. Despite revolutionary forces’ appeals to residents of Salin Township to avoid visiting military-controlled government offices, many civilians who need to process essential documents find themselves vulnerable to such arrests. The ongoing practice demonstrates the military’s continued oppression of civilians through administrative channels, forcing many to choose between accessing necessary documentation and risking their personal freedom and safety.
