Arbitrary Arrests, Ransom Payments, and Fear Spread Among Families as Junta Officials Exploit Youths in Thaton Township, Mon State

October 21, 2025

HURFOM field sources confirm that young people in Thaton Township, Mon State, are being arbitrarily arrested, detained, and extorted for ransom payments by Junta authorities and pro-military militia forces, leaving families traumatized and financially devastated.

Residents report that Major Sann Win Aung, a member of the Thaton Township Administrative Council, and Deputy Police Lieutenant Colonel Myint Naing, the district police chief, are working together to lead these coordinated crackdowns. Dozens of young men have been kidnapped from streets and homes, then forced to pay as much as 5 million Kyat (approximately 50 lakhs) for their release. Those unable to pay are sent directly to military training camps as forced conscripts.

A local activist and resistance member from Thaton described the worsening situation:
“Young people are being grabbed both day and night. They come to houses claiming to check guest lists, but instead they pull people out and detain them. Within three to five days, families are told to pay 5 million Kyat to get them back. If they can’t pay in time, the youths are sent straight to military training schools.”

The joint forces of pro-junta Pyu Saw Htee militia, military troops, and local police are said to be conducting these operations around the clock. Residents said the militia groups, often armed and trained by the junta, are notorious for their brutality, routinely harassing, beating, and intimidating villagers, especially the poor.

A witness told HURFOM:
“The militia under Major Sann Win Aung is out every night. They patrol the streets and assault anyone they see, whether it’s an adult or a teenager. If a young man fits the age for conscription, they arrest him immediately.”
One family in Thaton shared their ordeal after their son was taken from the town center earlier this month:

“He was arrested for riding a motorcycle without a helmet. They told us to pay 5 million Kyat to release him. We couldn’t afford it, so on October 13, he was sent to Batch 18 of the Junta’s military training.”

HURFOM sources estimate that between 150 and 300 young men are being arrested each month in Thaton Township under the pretext of military service. Many families have been forced to sell land, gold, or property to pay ransom for their loved ones, while others have lost contact entirely with detained relatives.

Long-serving Junta officials in the area, including Major Sann Win Aung and Deputy Police Chief Myint Naing, are reportedly well known for their corruption. They are said to target wealthier families and business owners for repeated extortion, using arrest and conscription threats as leverage.

Residents told HURFOM that the pattern of abuses, arbitrary arrests, extortion, and forced recruitment has created a climate of fear. Parents now restrict their children from leaving home, and communities across Thaton live under constant tension, uncertain who might be taken next.

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under News