Local residents report that the military council forces have forcibly recruited 18 young people, including a novice monk named Thawbita, for military service in Thonze and Minhla towns of Bago Region. On March 19 at approximately 10:30 AM, military council troops and Pyu Saw Htee members arrived by vehicle at the Football Field Monastery in San Shwe Tan Ward, Thonze Town, Thayarwady Township, and forcibly took away 17-year-old novice monk Thawbita (also known as Maung Thet Paing Ye). Local residents stated that Thawbita had only been ordained as a novice monk for about two months when he was taken.
In Minhla town, military council forces also forcibly recruited nine youths from Ward 6. On March 18, military troops visited May Restaurant in Ward 6 of Minhla town. When they were denied alcohol service, they arrested six waiters. The restaurant owner had to pay 20 million kyats to secure their release. Additionally, two Hindu brothers who were nephews of the ward administrator named Bun Toe were arrested for failing to show tax receipts for their scrap metal trading business. They were released after paying 5 million kyats.
A resident from North New Town Street 4 in Ward 6 of Minhla was also arrested by military council forces near Kauk Kwe Tan village while returning from Sha Pin Kwe village where he had gone for rice and bean trading business. The military council has posted warnings in front of the General Administration Office in Minhla town prohibiting travel between 11 PM and 3 AM. Local residents report living in fear due to these arbitrary arrests and detentions by military forces, expressing grave concerns about their daily security and safety under the ongoing campaign of forcible recruitment and extortion by the military council.
