November 30, 2024
Youths from Zee Phyu Kone Village in Nyaungdon Township, Ayeyarwady Region, who had paid bribes to avoid military service, were forcibly arrested and sent to Battalion 108 in Danubyu, according to local residents. The arrests were reportedly orchestrated by the village administrative head, Nai Win, with assistance from other officials.
Residents revealed that the administrative team, including Nai Win, Win Thet, Myu Lwin, and Soe Min Than, had demanded 30,000 kyats per household monthly to exempt youths from military service. Families with two youths were asked to pay 60,000 kyats. Despite these payments, some families reported that their children were still taken under the pretense of fulfilling a recruitment quota for the seventh round of military conscription.
A relative of one detained youth shared, “We paid the monthly bribe as requested. However, on November 18, my 27-year-old son was taken. He is not fit for service, as he drinks alcohol and has no military training. After investigating, we learned he had been sent to Battalion 108 in Danubyu and later transferred to Basic Military Training Center 1. We have not been able to contact him, and efforts to visit him were denied due to a lack of official recommendation letters.”
Reports indicate that village administrators in Nyaungdon Township are not only selecting youths for conscription but are also raiding homes to arrest individuals when recruitment targets are not met. Arrested individuals are transported to Battalion 108, a recruitment center in Danubyu, while families continue to face relentless monthly demands for bribes.
