The National Unity Government (NUG) has urged neighboring countries to stop sending detained Myanmar citizens to the military council, stating that such deportations are equivalent to sending them to their deaths. In their message to the public and international community, they appealed for humanitarian protection and assistance for these individuals who have been arrested for illegal stay and work in neighboring countries.
NUG spokesperson U Nay Bun Lat called on neighboring countries to prioritize humanitarian considerations in accordance with their respective laws and directives that prohibit deportation when returnees face life-threatening situations in their home country. He also encouraged Myanmar citizens abroad to respect the laws and cultural norms of their host countries while maintaining harmonious relationships within those societies.
Currently, the military council is conducting forced recruitment in various forms. These include nearly ten rounds of forced recruitment per week within a year, using civilians as porters, forcing returned deportees into military service, beginning to recruit women, conscripting youth from prisons, restricting young people’s international travel, and attempting to pressure Myanmar citizens abroad through embassies to return and serve in the military.
Those forcibly recruited receive only a few months of military training before being immediately deployed to frontline positions as human shields. The NUG has emphasized that these actions constitute international human rights violations and forced labor on a national scale, calling for effective intervention from international human rights and labor organizations. The National Unity Government continues to assist victims of forced recruitment and welcomes those who join revolutionary forces or seek refuge with the public, demonstrating their commitment to protecting Myanmar citizens from the military council’s oppressive practices.
