Mother arrested after seeking help on TikTok over son's conscription

A mother, Daw Khin Htay Myint (aka Daw Htay), who posted a video on social media platform TikTok seeking assistance after her son was forcibly conscripted, was arrested and detained at her home the day after posting the video, local residents told the Irrawaddy Times on September 6. On September 4, Daw Khin Htay Myint posted a 59-second video on her TikTok account, pleading for help because her son, who was supporting the family, was forcibly conscripted by Major Aung Min of the military and incorporated into the People's Militia. She stated that out of three sons, two were already serving in the military, and her youngest son, who was supporting the family, had also been conscripted. One local resident confirmed to the Irrawaddy Times that she was arrested at her home in Chan Thar Gyi Ward, on the border of Dakkhina Thiri Industrial Zone and Leway Township, on the evening of September 5, after the video went viral. "That elder sister was arrested yesterday evening. She was arrested at her home in Chan Thar Gyi Ward, Leway, and Dakkhina Thiri Industrial Zone. They moved from Pakokku," said a Leway local. Although the provisions of the People's Conscription Law, enacted in 2024 by the military leader Min Aung Hlaing, who has transformed into a president, state that those who are supporting elderly parents with no one else to care for them are eligible for exemption or deferment from military service, forced conscription is being carried out on the ground, contrary to these provisions. In response to this incident, some pro-military Telegram channels have retorted that the incident constitutes defamation of the military and have called for Daw Khin Htay Myint to be prosecuted under Section 66(d) of the Telecommunications Law. Caption: Daw Khin Htay Myint, who sought help on TikTok after all three of her sons were conscripted. The post Mother arrested after seeking help on TikTok over son's conscription appeared first on Ayeyarwaddy Times.