Junta abducting youths for conscription on Yangon-Pathein Highway
In a specific area along the highway linking Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city, to Pathein, the capital of Ayeyarwady Region, the junta has been abducting young people for conscription by setting up ambushes with unmarked private vehicles, including Toyota Alphard minivans, according to witnesses.
In recent days, the junta has carried out surprise abductions of young people around Dagon-Ayar Highway Bus Station in Hlaingthaya Township, Yangon Region, primarily targeting those traveling from the Ayeyarwady Region to Yangon, according to a witness.
“Just yesterday, we saw junta soldiers arresting young people coming into Yangon from the Ayeyarwady Region. Some were extorted by the soldiers, and others were taken away with them. All of them were youths of conscription age. This isn’t the first time the junta has done this either,” a witness who requested anonymity due to security concerns told KIC on May 9.
In Hlaingthaya Township, junta troops typically use military vehicles, but on politically sensitive dates and anniversaries, they often switch to unmarked passenger cars, vehicles with civil society organization logos, and even ambulances for patrols, according to a resident from the western part of the township.
With the junta now using unmarked vehicles for conscription-related abductions, a resident of the Ayeyarwady Region has urged young people to stay vigilant, be aware of their surroundings, and watch for danger signs whenever they travel.
