Nighttime Travel Plummets in Mon State Amid Escalating Fears of Forced Conscription

Nighttime traffic and commercial activity across towns and villages in Myanmar's Mon State have dropped sharply as residents stay indoors to avoid arbitrary arrests and forced military conscription, according to local sources.

Joint patrols of military and police personnel have reportedly stepped up vehicle roundups, detaining young residents even prior to formal curfew hours.

"About five police vehicles have been patrolling together," a resident from Paung Township told Mon News. "If they spot anyone out past 11:00 PM, they arrest them. Shops and local tea houses are closing early. By 7:00 PM, the streets are nearly empty, and hardly any motorcycles are on the road."

In Thanbyuzayat, a local woman noted that bustling commercial areas that previously stayed active until 9:00 PM now shut down early.

"Even during urgent emergencies, people are terrified to leave home," she said. "The rubber-tapping season is approaching, and workers are worried about being forcibly taken or having their motorcycles seized. We cannot trust local authorities."

The atmosphere of insecurity has extended to daytime movement along rural corridors. A plantation worker from Ka Mar Wet reported that laborers fear traveling along isolated roads near the Mudon 7-Mile marker even during daylight hours to tend to their crops.

In rural areas far from central police stations, junta-aligned People’s Militia members are reportedly detaining young people and releasing them only after families pay steep extortion fees. Residents also alleged that individuals who failed to pay local "conscription exemption fees" are being handed over to local administrators for cash bounties.

Local residents report that young men are being rounded up primarily to fulfill mandatory military recruitment quotas. Although junta officials claimed during a regional meeting on June 19 that action would be taken against illegal street arrests and extortion tied to conscription, local sources state that the practice continues unabated.

For the regime's 28th military training intake in Mon State, 222 young men were reportedly press-ganged into service. Residents noted that a significant portion of the recruits were individuals arrested for alleged curfew or administrative violations, or forcibly seized from public spaces.