Over 15 Young Men Arbitrarily Arrested by Junta Troops in Kawthaung Under the Pretext of “Guest Registration”
August 3, 2025
More than 15 young male workers were arrested in Kawthaung Township, Kawthaung District, Tanintharyi Region, on the night of July 28, 2025, by junta troops citing “guest registration violations” as the reason, according to local sources.
Around 10:00 p.m. on July 28, joint forces composed of junta soldiers and local administrators carried out coordinated nighttime inspections in several villages under the 10-Mile Village Tract, including Kan Maw Gyi (also known as 8-Mile Village), 11-Mile, and 12-Mile villages. They went door to door and detained male workers between the ages of 20 and 40, accusing them of failing to register their presence as required by military-imposed guest list rules.
According to residents, five men were taken from 8-Mile Village. From 12-Mile, workers from several local companies were targeted, including four from the Nyunt Hlaing Company, one from the Aung Ko Lwin natural stone company (which produces granite and limestone), and one from Tin Aung Moe Company. Additionally, five workers from a brick kiln in 10-Mile Village and one local resident from the same area were also arrested. In total, approximately 16 men were rounded up.
Similar raids took place again on the night of July 30 in the 9-Mile area, as well as in Naung Yoe natural stone production site and Tar Nyon Parda Village. Locals reported that junta troops conducted surprise inspections using guest list records and arrested both general laborers and rubber plantation workers. However, the exact number of those detained in these follow-up raids remains unconfirmed.
Many of the detained workers were reportedly employed by well-known local business owners. Families and employers were forced to pay between 700,000 to 800,000 MMK in exchange for the release of eight detainees on July 29, according to residents.
Sources also revealed that the military has demanded 10 young men from the 10-Mile Village Tract to be conscripted into service. These recent arrests appear to be part of a larger effort to meet those conscription quotas under the guise of enforcing guest registration regulations.
Locals in Kawthaung fear further arbitrary arrests, as the junta continues to exploit minor administrative rules to target young people and force them into military service.
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