By Garcia Ni / MPA

Taking advantage of the Full Moon Day of Thadingyut, the State Administration Council (SAC) Military in Kalay Town, Sagaing Region, has arrested numerous youths for military conscription, while those who could afford it were reportedly released after paying a ransom of over 10,000,000 kyats per person, according to local sources.

SAC Forces, along with Pyu Saw Htee militias, patrolled various parts of Kalay Town, arresting men with the reason of riding motorcycles in pairs beginning on 16 October 2024. A large number of youths were arrested on 17 October, a male resident of Kalay told MPA.

“Yesterday was the Full Moon Day of Thadingyut, so many youths went out. It seems like they took that opportunity to make arrests. Yesterday was quite severe. I cannot say for certain, but there could have been around forty to fifty arrests,” he said.

Among the arrested, some underaged youths were released, while those of legal age were taken to the combined office in Kalay Town. Locals reported that those who could afford to avoid conscription were released after paying over 10,000,000 kyats per person.

Since the enactment of the conscription law, SAC has been regularly arresting youths in Kalay Town, and it is likely that women may also be arrested this week, according to Ko Boik Pu, in-charge of the Kalay Town Public Strike Committee.
“This week, I’ve heard that about sixty women will be arrested for conscription. In wards where people are thinning out, it’s said that there are sweep operations targeting places where people gather, such as Chinlon and Zel games,” Ko Boik Pu remarked.

The youths who were arrested are usually taken to no.10 Training Battalion, located near Sakan Gyi village in the northern part of Kalay Town, where they undergo the six-week military training program, sources revealed.

“Back when batch-2 of military conscription started, some of my friends were taken to Training Battalion 10. Their families were too afraid to speak up. It wasn’t until I saw them on MRTV that I realized they had been conscripted,” a soldier from the Kalay Township Defense Force told MPA.

Those who are already serving under the conscription law are urged to defect and join revolutionary forces at the earliest opportunity, according to the defense force member.

In September, numerous youths from Mawlaik were also forcibly taken by SAC to Kalay’s no. 10 Training Battalion for military conscription, as confirmed by local sources in Mawlaik.

The junta enacted the People Military Service Law, originally drafted on 4 November, 2010, and formally implemented it on 10 February, 2024. Under the law, men aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 to 27 are required to undergo military conscription.