A recent incident has emerged where young men were deceived and forcibly recruited into military service after responding to a job advertisement for security positions at Shwe Lin Ban Industrial Zone in Hlaing Tharyar Township, Yangon Region. The position advertised a monthly salary of 510,000 kyats. Two 25-year-old men from Thanatpin Township in Bago Region, Maung Zaw Htet Lin and Maung Ye Naung, were lured to Yangon under the pretense of security guard positions, only to be forcibly taken to the Danyin Gone military recruitment center in Insein Township.
The incident began on May 4th when the two young men responded to the job advertisement that promised security positions following a three-month training period. Before traveling to Yangon, they were required to send their personal information and photographs via Viber messaging application. Upon arriving in Hlaing Tharyar, they were met by two men in civilian clothing on motorcycles who then transferred them to a hired vehicle that transported them to the Danyin Gone recruitment center. Their mobile phones were confiscated immediately upon arrival at the facility, effectively cutting off their communication with the outside world.
It wasn’t until May 8th that the young men were able to contact their families by paying to use a soldier’s phone within the recruitment center. They informed their families that they had been forcibly enlisted and would be required to attend the 13th intake of military training scheduled to begin this month. Friends of the detained young men have spoken out about this deceptive recruitment practice, warning others about the dangers of responding to seemingly legitimate job advertisements that promise attractive salaries. This incident highlights the ongoing practice of forced recruitment by the military council, using deceptive tactics to target young people seeking employment opportunities. The victims’ friends have emphasized the importance of being cautious about job advertisements offering high salaries, particularly those requiring initial training periods.
