By Zwe Ko / MPA

Farmers working in the fields at night have been warned by junta appointed-village administrators that they will not be protected if arrested or forcibly conscripted by the military, according to local farmers.

As the junta’s need for military personnel increases, arrests and forced conscriptions are being carried out at all hours, a farmer from Nyaung Wine village tract in Thayarwaddy Township reported.

“The main concern is for farmers working near the roads where military vehicles pass. If they’re caught, they might be taken away, and there’s no help available to secure their release. The administrators say they aren’t ordering the arrests but are advising people to be cautious,” explained the farmer.

In September 2024, two young men operating a rice threshing machine in Khamone Seik village, Letpadan Township, were arrested by the military, according to a local villager.

“They came into the village disguised as civilians. There was no time to escape. The young men were taken while working in the fields and sent to military training without any chance of release,” the villager said.

Similarly, in early October, two young men transporting harvested rice were arrested by the junta forces in Minhla Township, a local political activist reported.

“It happened around 6 PM near the southern outskirts of town. I don’t know which village they were from, but once someone is arrested by the military, it’s rare for them to be released. People need to be more cautious in the future,” she warned.

The increasing arrests of farmers and young people, even while they work in the fields, have severely disrupted farming activities, said a 40-year-old female farmer from Letpadan Township.

“If it rains, we can’t harvest, so we work late into the night on dry days. But now, with the fear of arrests and forced conscription, even hiring equipment is difficult. No one will rent trucks in the evening to transport rice. I’m worried about how we’ll manage this harvest season it’s becoming impossible to find workers,” she explained.

Since the military coup, widespread inflation and soaring farming costs have made agriculture unprofitable. Now, forced conscription has added another burden on farmers.

Many local farmers report that most rural youth have either fled abroad for work or escaped to liberated areas due to the SAC’s actions, leading to a labor shortage in agriculture.

Additionally, military forces have been entering villages, setting up camps, and engaging in battles near rural areas, forcing many farmers to abandon their fields and flee for safety.