Local residents report that over 50 young people have been forcibly arrested as porters by the military council forces in Wundwin Township, Meiktila Township in Mandalay Region, Dawei Township in Tanintharyi Region, and Monywa Township in Sagaing Region. In Wundwin Township, on July 31 around 10 AM, military council troops raided Shwetaung village along the old Yangon-Mandalay road, arresting 11 civilians including those sitting at a tea shop and those at a motorcycle repair shop. Among those arrested were 10 residents from Shwetaung village and one from Pulukun village.
In Meiktila town, on July 30 around 5 PM, military council troops arrested three young pedestrians near Nayla Guest House on Pwesar Street and two youths from the western side of the main market. Additionally, at Kyamaukkin Bridge in Dawei Township, military council troops manning the bridge checkpoint arrested over 30 young people on the morning of July 30. All those arrested were sent to a training camp in Dawei town. Local sources confirm that some of the arrested individuals included women, though this information could not be independently verified.
Similarly, in Monywa Township, military council forces arrested four young people at Nanchun Port and Monywa Jetty on July 23, who were subsequently transferred to Bahtu military town. The arrested individuals were from Thanhtawgyi, Thayargon, Kyaw, and Yonpinyo villages. According to local residents, while the military council troops sometimes demand money, in some cases they explicitly state they need people rather than money. The military council has announced plans to open the 16th military service batch in August. These forced recruitment activities have created an atmosphere of fear among local residents, with many avoiding going out after dusk for their safety.
