Two men were arbitrarily arrested by the military and Pyu Saw Htee groups in Shartaung village, Shwetaung Township, Bago Region, with demands for ransom payments from their families. The arrested individuals were identified as Ko Min Min (son of U Soe Nyunt) from Shartaung village and Ko Aung Myo Htet (son of U Kyaw Tint) from Pwaytha village. On July 30, village administrator Hla Han, Pyu Saw Htee leader Kyaw Myint, and Pyu Saw Htee members Thaw Zin Oo, Min Min Swe, and Myo Thu, along with military forces, beat and arrested the two men.
The arrests were made under accusations of supporting the People’s Defense Force (PDF), and families were subsequently contacted with demands for ransom payments. Ko Min Min’s family managed to gather the money and secure his release the same night, though he returned with injuries from the beatings. However, Ko Aung Myo Htet’s family, being financially disadvantaged, has been unable to pay the ransom. As a result, he continues to face beatings and torture, with threats of forced military conscription if the ransom remains unpaid. The Shwetaung Township Administration Committee has issued orders requiring villages to provide between two to ten young people per village for military service, granting full authority to Pyu Saw Htee groups and village administrators to conduct recruitment and collect funds.
Local residents live in constant fear of arbitrary arrest and conscription. The Shartaung village administrator and Pyu Saw Htee groups, emboldened by military support, are oppressing villagers and collecting monthly
