A concerning incident has occurred in Hlaing Tharyar Township, Yangon Region, where two young men were deceived by a false security job advertisement and subsequently forced into military recruitment. The victims, Maung Zaw Htet Lin and Maung Ye Naung, both 25 years old from Thanatpin Township in Bago Region, were lured by an advertisement promising a monthly salary of 510,000 kyats for a security position at the Shwe Lin Ban Industrial Zone.
The two young men arrived in Yangon on May 4th to apply for the advertised position. Upon reaching Hlaing Tharyar, they were met by two men in civilian clothes on motorcycles who then transferred them to a hired vehicle. Instead of being taken to the promised job location, they were transported to the Danyin Gone military recruitment center in Insein Township. Their mobile phones were confiscated, cutting off all communication with their families. It wasn’t until May 8th that they managed to contact their families using a soldier’s phone at the recruitment center, for which they had to pay a fee.
Prior to their arrival in Yangon, the victims had been required to submit their personal information and photographs via Viber. They were initially told they would need to undergo three months of training to work as security personnel. However, upon arrival, they discovered they were being forced to enter military service. It has been confirmed that both men are now scheduled to attend the 13th intake of military training this month, with no option to refuse.
This incident has prompted warnings from friends of the victims about the dangers of responding to online advertisements and leaflets promising high-paying jobs. They specifically cautioned about the military’s deceptive recruitment tactics, which involve false security job offers to forcibly conscript young people into military service. This case highlights the ongoing practice of forced recruitment by the military council, demonstrating their continued oppression of civilians and particularly targeting vulnerable young people seeking employment opportunities.
