May 30, 2024
In Yangon’s Mayangone Township and Mandalay’s Kyaukpadaung Township, authorities have been raiding homes and forcibly taking young people for military service, according to local residents. On May 29, at around 2 p.m., 22-year-old Maung Kaung Myat from No. 49, Myo Thit 1st Street, Thamine 1 Ward, Mayangone Township, was forcibly taken from his home by Pyu Saw Htee leader Aung Thu and neighborhood chief Win Thu, who climbed onto the roof to apprehend him. He was reportedly sent to military service shortly after.
“They took Kaung Myat when his parents were not home. The people who took him were criminals; they are part of the Pyu Saw Htee group. Aung Thu and Win Thu arrested him,” a local resident told the media.
Similarly, on May 28, in Intaw Village, Kyaukpadaung Township, four young men were summoned by village head U Yin Maung, who claimed they had been “selected” for military service. Parents were warned not to let their sons flee, under the threat of arrest, and told that they would be imprisoned if they resisted, according to reports.
“In Intaw Village, U Yin Maung is coercing people into military service, claiming they were ‘selected.’ Parents are heartbroken and crying. U Yin Maung told them, ‘Don’t cry. Whether now or later, they’ll have to serve the country. Soldiers are sacrificing their lives for the nation,’” a local resident shared.
