Loikaw DAC Commander Orders One Person Per Household Conscription, Troops in Wundwin, Myitnge and Thayet Taw Arrest Youths, 12th Grade Student Exchanged for 100 Million Kyats

Yangon, July 4 The Regional Military Commander (Dac-Ka-Sa) based in Loikaw, Karenni State, has summoned all column commanders and instructed them to conscript one person per household in Loikaw city and other areas under their control, a military source told Yangon Khit Thit Media. On July 4, the Regional Military Commander based in Loikaw summoned all column commanders, including those from the Phekhon/Mawbiye columns, and instructed them to call for conscription of one person per household from homes within their controlled territories, including Loikaw city. "An emergency meeting was called at Dac-Ka-Sa today. All column commanders and battalion commanders, including those from Phekhon/Mawbiye, were present. The meeting instructed that people must be called for mandatory military service, one person per household. The army is short of manpower. We will also call on the people to defend Mawbiye. An order has been issued to conscript those previously arrested, those summoned by notice, and those who must serve," the military source told Yangon Khit Thit Media. It is understood that youths previously arrested have been interrogated and sent to the front lines in Rakhine State. Investigations are being tightened due to information leaks within the army. Furthermore, in the areas surrounding Wundwin, Myitnge, Thayet Taw, and Malaing townships in Mandalay Region, the terrorist army and their appointed village administrators have been jointly carrying out daily conscription and arrests of youths through various means, according to Voice Of Wundwin and local residents' statements. Around 3 AM on June 27, soldiers stationed at the General Administration Department in Wundwin Township entered Thakhupmyint village and, under the guidance of village administrator Myint Naing, entered homes and forcibly arrested an 8th-grade student who was sleeping with his family, and a student who had just passed the 12th-grade examination in Malaing town a few days prior. On June 28, the 8th-grade student was released with his hands tied, citing his underage status, but the 12th-grade student remained detained. His family reportedly paid around 100 million Kyats to have him exchanged and brought back. Myint Naing has been serving as administrator since the coup, and his daughter works at the General Administration Office. It is known that he calls the army to arrest people in households he is displeased with, and demands a monthly conscription fee of 20,000 Kyats per household, which he shares with the army. Additionally, around 10 AM on July 2, soldiers entered Theintaw Hill in Wundwin town and conscripted and took away a total of three youths: one youth and two youths walking on the Kanbaw hill. Similarly, on the Pintale-Myitnge road between Thafan village in Wundwin Township and Myitnge Township, soldiers from Myitnge Plaza (113) arrive by car during the times when the road is deserted and set up ambushes at two points to arrest passing youths. In Kukko Kharlah village, Malaing Township, after the former administrator Thet Oo died, the new administrator Maung Kyi, appointed by the military council and owner of a liquor store, has been cooperating with military council soldiers from the Pintale camp to demand 60,000 Kyats every four months from households in the village. Furthermore, he is colluding with military council soldiers who come to his house daily to drink and play cards to conscript youths in the village, causing most of the village's youths to flee to safety, and families unable to afford the fees are facing difficulties due to the extortion. In Thayet Taw town, at least five youths were arrested in the past week during late-night raids by the military council, which entered homes under various pretexts. According to local news, two from the eastern ward of the railway tracks, two from Kanthar ward, and one from the southern ward of Thithtaw Aungtaw hill, a total of five individuals, were arrested and taken away, accused of drug use instead of being on the conscription list.