In Yenangyaung Township, Magway Region, military council forces have arrested more than thirty young people for forced military service during a three-day period from June 9 to June 11, according to local residents and family members. The military council forces are conducting daily arrests in Yenangyaung town to recruit young people for the 14th military service batch scheduled to open in June. The arrests are being carried out through street patrols and checkpoints, with joint operations between the military, police, and Pyu Saw Htee groups.
Among those arrested, some who could afford to pay were released after providing money to the military, while the majority were sent to military recruitment units for forced service. On June 9 around 8 AM, approximately twenty youths were arrested at a checkpoint near Mona Lisa Oil Shop in Mopaungkan ward, and on June 11, more than ten youths were arrested on Thakhin Bore Lay Gyi Road, according to local sources. The military council forces are arresting young people under the pretext of checking for unlicensed vehicles, forcing those caught riding motorcycles without licenses to choose between serving prison time or joining the military.
Yenangyaung Township has become one of the areas with the highest number of forced recruitment arrests for military service. Due to these arrests, young people from both the town and surrounding villages are relocating to Yangon and other urban areas, while some are fleeing to foreign countries through illegal routes. The situation has significantly impacted the local community, with businesses now primarily relying on female workers as many young men have either fled or been arrested. The systematic targeting of young people for military service has led to a noticeable demographic change in Yenangyaung, with a significant decrease in the male youth population in the area.
