YANGON, Myanmar — At least 32 people were arbitrarily detained by security forces in Yangon over the past month, according to data released by the Rangoon Scout Network (RSN), a local underground monitoring group.
The report highlights a disturbing pattern of “shadow arrests” across nine townships, where civilians are frequently snatched from the streets or during night-time raids. Of the 32 documented cases, only two individuals have been released. Seven were sent directly to military training centers or prisons, while the fate of the remaining 23 remains unknown.
Monitoring groups and local residents say the sham government is increasingly targeting working-class suburbs, such as Hlaing Tharyar, Shwe Pyi Thar, and the Dagon townships.
“In these areas, local administrators backed by the military are entering homes unannounced to snatch those eligible for conscription,” a police source in Yangon told MPA. “They often come with specific lists, focusing on underprivileged neighborhoods where people have fewer means to resist or pay bribes.”
According to the RSN, the methods of arrest vary from targeted home searches and guest-list inspections used for extortion to “job traps,” where individuals are lured with fake employment offers only to be detained upon arrival.
The atmosphere in Yangon’s industrial zones has become increasingly tense. Residents report that young men have largely disappeared from public view during the day to avoid being press-ganged into service.
“In Shwe Pyi Thar, you rarely see young men on the streets anymore,” a 50-year-old resident said. “Even during the day, the streets are empty of youths. Everyone is terrified of the military and the pro-junta militias (Pyu Saw Htee) who operate with total impunity.”
While the 32 arrests recorded in April represent a slight decrease from previous months—which saw approximately 100 arrests in March and 80 in January—activists warn this does not signal a let-up in repression.
An RSN official suggested the numbers might appear lower due to the sham government’s efforts to project an image of “normalcy” during the recent Thingyan (Water Festival) holidays and the formation of a reorganized administrative cabinet.
The reported figures exclude individuals detained for common criminal offenses or human trafficking, focusing solely on political or administrative detentions linked to the sham government’s grip on power. Since the activation of the conscription law in early 2025, Yangon has seen a surge in missing person reports as families struggle to track loved ones taken into the military’s opaque penal and recruitment systems.
