In Letpadan Township, Bago Region, the military forcibly arrested a young man for allegedly giving them a ‘defiant look’ while walking past their checkpoint. The incident occurred on May 14 when Ko Win, the administrator of Dhaningyikyun village in Ziphyugon village tract, and his assistant Aung Win Than, along with military forces and Pyu Saw Htee members, were manning a security checkpoint. They arrested Maung Lwin Phyo, who was merely walking past the checkpoint. According to his friends, he was arrested simply for glancing at the military checkpoint, with soldiers accusing him of giving them a threatening look.
In Taungoo Township’s Gunmyintaing village within the Kanni village tract, military forces conducted a raid with large numbers of troops. They gathered young villagers at the monastery’s dharma hall, where they were beaten and arrested. The military also burned motorcycles belonging to households that did not comply with their summons. Similarly, in Oktwin Township’s Taungkone village on May 13, when the military demanded two young men for military service and the villagers refused, they conducted raids to arrest youth from the village. While most young people managed to escape in time, one person was captured for forced military service. The military threatened to burn down the village if they failed to provide recruits in the future.
The military council has been conducting monthly military service intake sessions since May 2024, with the 13th intake scheduled for this month. These forced recruitment drives, accompanied by threats of violence against civilians who do not comply, demonstrate the military council’s ongoing human rights violations. The pattern of intimidation, forced conscription, and violence against civilians continues to escalate as the military attempts to bolster its forces through coercive measures. These actions have created an atmosphere of fear and instability in these regions, with local residents facing constant threats of violence and forced military service.
