Local residents report that the military council forces are conducting arrests of young people for forced military service at the entrance to Chauk city in Magway Region. For the 13th military service batch opening in May, the military council has set up checkpoints at the entrance to Chauk where they are inspecting IDs and mobile phones of young people on passenger vehicles, detaining those they deem suspicious for forced military service. On April 28, two young travelers from Pinwa Obo village in Salay township were pulled from a Linn Htet Kyal passenger bus at the Myopauk Kan checkpoint at the entrance to Chauk and taken away for forced military service.
At the military council checkpoint at the entrance to Palaw town in Myeik District, Tanintharyi Region, 15 young people were also forcibly arrested for military service. On the morning of May 1, administrative officials, police, and military forces arrived in four vehicles at the Kyauk Su military council checkpoint on the road from Lakkyu village to Palaw and arrested young men who were traveling normally. Between 8:30 AM and around 11:00 AM, 15 youth were arrested, with 11 being sent to the Palaw police station while the remaining 4 were expected to be released on bail.
The military also confiscated the motorcycles of those arrested. The youth who were taken to the Palaw police station are planned to be transported by water route to the Combat Training School (Combat/Training) based in Shwedoo village, Myeik Township. While there have been over three instances of arresting and sending dozens of people for military service in Palaw, this is the first time mass arrests have been conducted at checkpoints during daytime. Additionally, there are reports of the military arresting youth for forced military service at the Kyamaukkin Bridge and Byawtaw city entrance checkpoints in Dawei city.
