Myanmar junta escalates forced conscription campaign with systematic roundups and arbitrary arrests in Kalay township

Mizzima

The Myanmar military junta has intensified its forced conscription campaign by launching widespread, arbitrary arrests of civilians across Kalay Township in Sagaing Region, according to the Kalay Public Strike Steering Committee (KPSSC).

Speaking to Mizzima on 7 June, KPSSC member Maung Maung Lay stated that the military group is currently targeting individuals traveling alone as well as young adults in their prime, inspecting them wherever they are encountered.

He explained that junta forces are making arbitrary arrests on fabricated pretexts, with these detentions subsequently resulting in the individuals being forcibly sent to military training camps.

To mitigate the escalating risk of abductions, the KPSSC issued an urgent public security advisory on 6 June. The directive warned residents to strictly avoid major thoroughfares, specifically Bogyoke Road and the Sanpya intersection, alongside areas surrounding hotels and highway bus terminals. The committee further advised the public to avoid traveling alone, maintain heightened vigilance during peak hours, and closely monitor real-time ground intelligence.

“According to the ground news reports and data compiled by our organization, junta forces are heavily increasing inspections and arrests across various locations in Kalay, a clampdown that has been ongoing for about three months now,” Maung Maung Lay said. “In some areas, they are constantly stationed in plainclothes to monitor movements around the clock, while in others, they wait in full force using their vehicles to conduct targeted arrests.”

While previously restricting forced recruitment quotas to junta-controlled wards and aligned communities, the military has now drastically expanded operations across the entire town.

According to the KPSSC, the junta has altered its operational patterns over the past three months by deploying plainclothes personnel and using unmarked vehicles to conduct sudden roundups. Captured youths and solo travelers are being systematically detained and transferred to the Central Regional Training Center (10), from which they are redistributed to various military training facilities nationwide.

Urging community resilience in the face of the widening dragnet, Maung Maung Lay emphasized the need for collective vigilance.

“I would like to urge the public not to remain entirely blind and deaf to the situation, but to keep their eyes and ears wide open. By supporting and helping one another as much as we can, we must get through this most difficult and challenging period together,” the Maung Maung Lay said.