Administration team extorts residents to hire conscript substitutes

August 1, 2025

HURFOM: In Mudon Town, Mon State, the ward administration teams have extorted 10,000 MMK from each household to hire substitute conscripts. HURFOM has been unable to confirm if the extortion is based on monthly or batch bias.

On July 26^th, 2025, the ward administration team of Myo Ma #4 Ward called local residents to a meeting where they said they had to hire substitute conscripts and each substitute would cost five million MMK. The team said they do not have funds, so local residents must pay this amount.

The team explained they had to send two conscripts per batch till the 15^th military training batch for conscripts. Before, they were capable of managing the issue without collecting money from residents. However, it has become difficult to find enough substitutes. Residents must now pay to hire substitutes for the 16^th batch.

“Currently, it is very difficult to find a substitute. We have to pay for a substitute. Each substitute costs five million MMK. The administration team doesn’t have money so they collect money from the people,” said a Mudon resident.

Before, the junta relied on conscripts by arresting young men who were riding unlicensed vehicles, riding two/motorbike, drug addicts, thieves, and forced them to join the army. The junta has also lured the poor with promises of monetary incentives to join military training.

There were approximately 200 trainees in the 15^th batch in Mon State. As of today, more than 2,400 young men have been forcefully collected as conscripts across Mon State.

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under News