No Rest for the Oppressed: Junta Hunts Youth Amid Fear and Poverty in Mon State

May 16, 2025

HURFOM: HURFOM: In townships across Mon State, the military Junta has intensified its campaign of arbitrary arrests and forced conscription, particularly targeting young people in the evenings. Local sources confirmed that since early May, arrests have increased significantly, even extending to workplaces and homes.

According to HURFOM field documentation and eyewitness reports, junta forces are conducting nightly patrols in townships such as Thaton, Mawlamyine, Mudon, Thanbyuzayat, and Ye. Young men seen outside after dark are being arrested, often without explanation. Even those working at construction sites or visiting friends have been seized.
A local resident from Thaton explained:

“Since early May, we’ve seen a spike in arrests. In our area, young men who go out at night disappear. Their families later discover they’re being held in military camps. The authorities demand between 3 to 5 million kyat to release them. If they can’t pay, they are sent directly to military training camps, like the one in Thanbyuzayat. In my ward alone, four boys have gone missing since yesterday.”

Recent incidents in Bilin Township saw Junta soldiers storm construction sites on May 13 and 14, arresting at least eight workers. These young laborers—many of whom support their families through daily wages—were taken without notice. Their whereabouts remain unknown.
A Mon community member described the pattern as “more like kidnapping.”

“They’re arresting youth for two reasons: to force them into military service and to make money from bribes. It’s a new system of extortion and recruitment rolled into one,” he said.

The arrests are directly tied to the Junta’s efforts to fill quotas for the upcoming Batch 13 of military training. A source close to the regime confirmed that orders have been issued to secure at least 200 new conscripts from Mon State alone.

In Mudon and Mawlamyine, local residents report that military officers, police, and junta-linked administrators are entering homes and arresting youth on flimsy charges. Some are accused of minor drug offenses or violating travel bans, such as the restriction against two men riding a motorbike, then offered the “choice” of conscription or imprisonment.
A 50-year-old witness from Mudon said:

“Security forces are selectively targeting youth who lack financial means or social connections. Even at checkpoints, those who look vulnerable are taken. They tell them: join the army or face jail.”

In Ye Township, a resident explained that many families are now sending their sons across the border to Thailand to avoid recruitment.

“I sent my son to Thailand. It’s not safe there either, but it’s better than staying here and being taken. Local administrators came to our house asking for him to join. Like many parents, I had no other choice,” she said.

HURFOM’s findings indicate that forced conscription in Mon State is escalating rapidly. Over 2,400 young men are believed to have already been conscripted since the reintroduction of the People’s Military Service Law. Every month, new batches of training are launched, and villages and towns are routinely pressured to meet quotas.

The Junta’s tactics—intimidation, kidnapping, extortion, and threats—are sowing fear across the region. Youth are fleeing their homes, avoiding work, and disappearing at night. Many are hiding in ethnic-controlled areas or seeking refuge abroad.

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under News