The military council forces have arrested approximately 30 young people from Seitwin village in Pakokku Township, Magway Region, for forced military service. According to family members of those arrested, who spoke to Yangon Modern News Agency, the military surrounded and sealed off Seitwin village on April 11 around 3 PM, conducting house-to-house searches to arrest young people aged 18 and above. The military forces entered the village with a large contingent, wearing blue uniforms, and systematically searched every house, gathering those they found under a tree before taking them away.
Local residents report that while some youth managed to escape, the majority were captured, and many who fled are still afraid to return to the village. The military council is reportedly gathering young people for their 12th military training batch, which is scheduled to begin after the Thingyan festival period. Human rights observers point out that such forced recruitment into military service violates international law and constitutes a human rights violation. The systematic nature of these arrests, targeting young people specifically for military service, demonstrates the military council’s continuing pattern of human rights abuses against civilians.
Seitwin village, located near Pakokku town, was once a peaceful community but is now filled with residents living in fear under military oppression. The military’s regular raids on villages to forcibly recruit young people for military service have severely disrupted daily life in the community. Local residents reveal that these actions have devastated their community, with young people losing educational and employment opportunities. The military’s actions continue to demonstrate their disregard for civilian rights and well-being, forcing young people into military service against their will and international law, while creating an atmosphere of fear and instability in what was once a peaceful village community.
