Fifteen Displaced Villagers Arbitrarily Arrested by Junta Troops in Theinzayat Town, Kyaikhto Township

August 10, 2025

On the morning of 9 August 2025, junta forces arrested fifteen displaced men sheltering at the “Lo Yar Phyae Social Assistance Office” in Theinzayat Town, Kyaikhto Township, Mon State. Local residents reported that the arrests took place at around 10:00 AM, when a joint column of approximately thirty junta troops stormed the compound.

“When the military trucks arrived, everyone was terrified. No one dared to step outside to see what was happening. The soldiers then picked out fifteen men from among the displaced people and took them away,” said a Theinzayat resident.

The detainees, aged between 18 and 37, were reportedly taken under the pretext of “needing to be questioned.” They are currently being held at Light Infantry Battalion No. 207’s base in Theinzayat, where family members have been denied access to them. Relatives fear the men may be forcibly sent to military training for conscription.

All fifteen men had fled to Theinzayat in May 2025, after armed clashes in Kwin Seik village, Shwe Kyin Township, Bago Region, forced them from their homes. They had been living in the Lo Yar Phyae office along with more than fifty other displaced people from Kwin Seik and nearby villages. None have been able to return home due to ongoing insecurity.

The arrests have sparked widespread fear among the displaced community. Family members worry that this latest act is part of the junta’s broader pattern of targeting displaced people, particularly men of fighting age, under the guise of “security checks.” In Kyaikhto Township, HURFOM has documented repeated violations by junta forces, including arbitrary arrests, forced conscription, intimidation of humanitarian workers, and indiscriminate airstrikes on civilian areas. Theinzayat Town, in particular, has become a hotspot for such abuses, with displaced communities living under constant threat.

This latest incident reflects the shrinking space for civilians to seek safety, even in temporary shelters. The targeting of IDPs in need of protection underscores the urgent need for international monitoring and pressure to halt these violations.

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under News