At Least 34 Detained in Yangon Within a Week Amid Escalating Conscription Drive

At least 34 people were forcibly detained for military recruitment in Yangon between September 28 and October 4, according to the Rangoon Scout Network (RSN).

Most of those detained were not on official military draft lists but were randomly seized while traveling on public streets.

According to the RSN, police and plainclothes security personnel used police vehicles, private cars, and municipal shuttle buses to target pedestrians across the city.

Kyauktada Township recorded the highest number, with 10 people arrested.

Six arrests occurred in Kamayut, five each in Sanchaung and Insein, and two in Thingangyun. East Dagon, North Dagon, Thaketa, Tamwe, and Hlaing Townships each reported one arrest.

“With the military’s 29th training batch scheduled to begin next week, forced conscription will likely escalate,” an RSN official said. “We urge everyone to remain extremely cautious, stay informed about local developments, avoid deserted areas at night, and memorize emergency contact numbers.”

Reports of similar detention in other townships are currently being verified.

In addition to young men, women are also increasingly being targeted. On September 24, a garment worker in her 30s was dragged toward a vehicle while waiting at a bus stop in Hlaing Tharyar Township.

“When she was grabbed, both the victim and nearby bystanders screamed for help, forcing the abductors to release her,” said U Thet Hnin Aung, General Secretary of the Myanmar Industries, Crafts and Services Trade Unions Federation (MICS-TUsF). “Although she escaped, she sustained minor injuries.”

Following the incident, the federation urged employers to avoid mandating excessive overtime and to provide safe transportation for workers on late shifts.

Since the military junta activated its mandatory conscription law—aiming to draft roughly 5,000 recruits per batch—coercive arrests have surged. The RSN reported that 131 young civilians were detained in Yangon during September alone.