A disturbing incident in Yangon’s Hlaing Tharyar Township has revealed how two young men were deceived into military recruitment after responding to an advertisement for a well-paying security position at Shwe Lin Ban Industrial Zone. The victims, Maung Zaw Htet Lin and Maung Ye Naung, both 25 years old from Thanatpin Township in Bago Region, were lured by a job offer promising a monthly salary of 510,000 kyats. The incident has exposed another instance of the military’s deceptive recruitment tactics targeting young civilians.
On May 4, the two young men arrived in Hlaing Tharyar after seeing a leaflet advertising the security position. They were met by two men in civilian clothes on motorcycles who then transported them to their supposed workplace. However, instead of being taken to the industrial zone, they were transported to the military recruitment center in Danyingone, Insein Township. Their mobile phones were confiscated upon arrival, cutting off all communication with their families. It wasn’t until May 8 that they managed to contact their families by paying to use a soldier’s phone at the recruitment center.
Prior to traveling to Yangon, the young men had been required to submit their personal information and photographs via Viber. What was initially presented as a three-month training period for a security position was revealed to be mandatory military training. According to sources, they are scheduled to attend the 13th intake of military training this month. The victims were told they would receive security guard training, but instead found themselves forcibly enlisted in the military with no option to refuse.
A friend of the detained young men has warned others to be extremely cautious of job advertisements promising high salaries, whether online or in leaflets. This incident highlights the military’s ongoing practice of using deceptive recruitment tactics to force young people into military service. The use of false job offers as a means of military recruitment represents a serious human rights violation and is contrary to law. The military’s practice of forced recruitment through deception has become increasingly common, targeting young people seeking legitimate employment opportunities in a challenging economic environment.
