Two young men were deceived and forcibly recruited into military service after responding to a job advertisement for security personnel at the Shwe Lin Ban Industrial Zone in Hlaing Tharyar Township, Yangon Region. The position had advertised a monthly salary of 510,000 kyats. The victims, Maung Zaw Htet Lin and Maung Ye Naung, both 25 years old from Thanatpin Township in Bago Region, contacted the phone number listed on a job leaflet advertising security positions at the industrial zone. They were subsequently instructed to travel to Yangon.
Upon arriving in Yangon on May 4, the two young men were met in Hlaing Tharyar by two men in civilian clothes on motorcycles. They were then transported via taxi to a military recruitment center in Danyingone, Insein Township. Their mobile phones were confiscated upon arrival. It wasn’t until May 8 that they were able to contact their families by paying to use a soldier’s phone at the recruitment center. Before traveling to Yangon, the young men had been required to submit their biographical information and photographs via Viber messaging app. They were initially told they would need to complete three months of training to work as security personnel. However, they are now scheduled to attend military training course No. 13 beginning this month.
A friend of the detained young men explained that they were promised security positions after completing what was described as training, but upon arrival were forced into military recruitment with no option to refuse. The friend warned others not to trust online advertisements or leaflets promising high salaries and employment opportunities, as these are being used to deceive young people into military service. This case highlights the ongoing practice of forced recruitment through deception, with civilians being targeted through false job promises and then compelled into military service against their will.
