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 in vehicles at the Football Field Monastery in San Ywar Tan Ward, Thonze Town, Thayarwaddy 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 before his abduction.
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 from the restaurant. The restaurant owner had to pay 20 million kyats (approximately USD 9,500) to secure their release. Additionally, two Hindu brothers who are nephews of Ward 6 administrator Bun Toe were arrested for failing to show tax receipts for their scrap metal trading business. They were only released after paying 5 million kyats (approximately USD 2,375) to the military council forces.
A resident from North New Town Street 4 in Ward 6 of Minhla was also detained by military council forces near Kauk Kwe Tan village while returning from Sha Pin Kwe village where he had gone for business related to beans and rice. The military council has also posted warnings in front of the Minhla Township General Administration Office prohibiting travel between 11 PM and 3 AM. These arbitrary arrests and restrictions by the military council have created an atmosphere of fear and insecurity among local residents, who now live in constant worry about their daily safety and security. The ongoing forced recruitment and extortion by military forces have severely disrupted normal life in these communities, with residents facing both physical and economic threats from the military council’s actions.
