Reports indicate that the military is conducting forced recruitment operations targeting young people in Laymyethna Township, Ayeyarwady Region, and Kyaukpadaung Township, Mandalay Region. On May 12 at 6 PM, military forces entered Chaung Zar village in the Popa group of villages, Kyaukpadaung Township, with three military vehicles. They violently arrested one young man from the village, forcibly conscripting him as a porter. The identity of the arrested youth is being withheld for the safety of his family members, according to local sources.
In a similar incident in Kwan Chan Kone village, Laymyethna Township, Ayeyarwady Region, the military has detained five young men without any explanation. The detainees have been held for an extended period without release, and there are reports that the military is demanding ransom money for their freedom. Some of the detained youths come from wealthy families, and their relatives are preparing to pay the demanded ransoms to secure their release. Additionally, on April 27, military forces raided Kwan Chan Kone village and confiscated residents’ mobile phones, which have not been returned to date.
The military is reportedly conducting these forced recruitment operations and porter conscription across the country in preparation for their 13th military service batch scheduled to begin in May. According to local residents, young people in the villages are now fleeing and hiding in fear of military arrest. These actions by the military have severely disrupted the daily lives of local communities and created an atmosphere of fear and anxiety. The ongoing forced recruitment campaign has particularly impacted rural areas, where young people are being targeted for both military service and forced labor as porters, causing significant distress among local families and communities.
