A university student named Ko Myo Min Hein, who was forcibly recruited as a military porter in Pyay, Bago Region, has escaped and sought refuge with the People’s Defense Force (PDF) in Shwetaung Township. The 21-year-old student, who is from Myoma Village Tract in Shwetaung Township, was pursuing a first-year physics major at Pyay Distance Education University. He was captured in August 2025 while returning to his dormitory on a motorcycle with three friends near Street 17 in Pyay New Town when military forces conducted a porter recruitment operation.
Two of his friends who were arrested alongside him were employees of the Pyay Electricity Office and were later retrieved by their superior officers. However, Ko Myo Min Hein remained detained at Infantry Battalion 14. During his five-day detention, he managed to escape when the guard soldiers were absent. He fled before being forced to undergo military training and contacted the Shwetaung Township People’s Defense Force to request sanctuary.
A representative from the Shwetaung Township People’s Defense Force confirmed that they retrieved Ko Myo Min Hein on September 5, and he is now safely at their camp. Ko Myo Min Hein has expressed his intention to fight back against the military forces that had detained him. The PDF official also emphasized that they welcome soldiers who defect from the military to join the people’s side. This incident highlights the ongoing practice of forced recruitment by the military and the resistance movement’s efforts to protect civilians who escape such situations.
