By Hlaing / MPA

The military junta has increased arbitrary arrests in Mahlaing Township, Mandalay Region, according to family members of those detained.

Detentions, which began in September 2024, have risen sharply since early 2025, raising concerns among residents and human rights groups.

On the mornings of March 3 and 5, junta troops and police under the military council forcibly detained youths near the four-way intersection south of Mahlaing Market and at Independence Field (Hlaing Thar Yar Park). Some of those arrested had simply been walking along the road west of the market, according to witnesses.

“At around 10 a.m., they arrived and began arresting people. Everyone had to flee. We abandoned our shops and ran. They even entered neighborhoods near the market, including Ward 6 and Ward 7. Many young people were taken,” a 45-year-old resident told MPA.

Family members of the detainees attempted to negotiate their release by offering money at the Mahlaing police station and the General Administration Department, but none were freed.

“As soon as I found out my son had been taken, I went to the police station and the township administration office. They told me he would be sent to Battalion 99 in Myittha and refused to release him,” said a family member of one detainee.

On Feb. 22, 2025, around 45 youths from Mahlaing Township were arrested for military conscription under the 9th and 10th Batch training programs. Families were informed they could secure their release by paying 1.5 million kyat per person to Battalion 99 in Myittha, according to local news sources.

Between Feb.6 and 9, 2025, the military council also arrested youths on the streets, at tea shops, and along the Mahlaing-Nwa Thoke Gyi road, including in Wah Kha village and Kan Gyi junction.

“Wah Kha village is close to Mahlaing. They came in force in the afternoon, and even children were arrested. They fired shots as they entered,” said a Wah Kha village resident who witnessed the incident.

Additionally, farmers returning from their fields in villages such as Kywe Kan and Aikmayoe along the Mahlaing-Nyaung Kan road were also subjected to arbitrary arrests by the military council, according to local residents.

As early as mid-November 2024, the military council had issued verbal orders through the General Administration Department in Myittha, Thazi, Wundwin, and Mahlaing townships, instructing officials to conduct house-to-house visits to recruit individuals aged 18 to 35 for military service.

Facing severe losses due to collapsed outposts and widespread desertions, the military council enacted the People’s Military Service Law on Feb.10, 2024, in an attempt to replenish its ranks.
Initially, conscripts were selected via lottery, but widespread evasion has led to an increase in forced arrests.

In February last year, military spokesperson Major General Zaw Min Tun stated that each batch would recruit 5,000 trainees, though revolutionary groups on the ground believe the actual number may be much higher.

The military council had begun recruitment for Batch 10 of military training by February 2025, and is currently enlisting for Batch 11 in March, according to sources.