November 24, 2024
In Yangon, three young travelers from Pantanaw Township were detained as soldiers by the military after renting a taxi driven by a member of the Pyu Saw Htee militia. The incident occurred after the youths traveled from their home village in the Myin Aung group of Baw Di Kon, Pantanaw Township, to Yangon. Upon arrival, they hired a taxi, but instead of being driven to their destination, the driver, who is reportedly a member of the Pyu Saw Htee militia, took them to a military soldier recruitment center, where they were forcibly detained.
The youths’ families and acquaintances have reported that the three young people, aged in their late teens, were taken away by the military and attempts to free them have been unsuccessful. Despite ongoing efforts by their families to have them released, they are currently held at a military training facility in Taungtwingyi, which is known for housing recruits. It is understood that one of the young men is being sent to the Navy, while the other two are yet to be assigned to specific branches of the military.
Family members and friends of the detained youths have expressed frustration, stating that the youths’ identification records were altered before they were sent to the military. They explained that the taxi driver had sold them to the military, effectively handing over the young travelers to a brutal system. Despite attempts to intervene and secure their release, the families were unable to retrieve the youths from the military facility.
“The taxi driver sold them to the military. They’ve ended up in Taungtwingyi. When the families found out, there were talks of paying large sums, like 70 or 50 million kyat, to get them back. But in reality, there’s nothing we can do. The military changed their details and forced them into their ranks,” said close associates of the families.
The driver, who is a member of the Pyu Saw Htee militia, had reportedly sold the youths to the military. One of the youths will be assigned to the Navy, but the fate of the other two remains unclear. The three young travelers are all in their late teens, making them among the youngest to be forcibly conscripted into the military.
