By Ko Myo
KAWTHAUNG, Myanmar — Myanmar citizens deported from Thailand are being systematically intercepted at border entry points and funneled directly into the military junta’s forced conscription pipeline rather than being allowed to return to their families, a damning report by independent monitor Myanmar Witness has revealed.
The findings, detailed in the report titled “Forced Recruitment and Conscription in Myanmar: A Data-Driven Analysis,” outline a predatory and highly coordinated dragnet targeting vulnerable returnees along the country’s southern border.
According to documented case studies compiled by Myanmar Witness, between February 2024 and May 2025, at least 3,313 Myanmar nationals were repatriated from neighboring countries. Of this figure, more than 2,500 individuals were deported from Thailand alone. Rather than being safely reunited with their relatives, a significant portion of these returnees vanished into direct military custody immediately upon crossing the border.
Ground testimony secured by MPA from Kawthaung—a primary maritime border crossing directly opposite Ranong, Thailand—details a lucrative and highly organized extortion ring operated by local authorities and military commanders.
“When deported migrants are handed over from Ranong, they are boated from the Hin Chran pier to the Kawthaung pier,” a long-term local resident of Kawthaung told MPA under condition of anonymity. “The moment they step onto Myanmar soil, they are marched directly to an indoor municipal hall in the town. There, officials filter out the women and elderly men.”
“For the remaining able-bodied young men, a ruthless ‘formula’ is applied: officials negotiate with their families to see if they can pay a ransom. If the family can afford to buy their release, the young man is freed. If they cannot pay, he is transferred directly to the Light Infantry Battalion 262 (LIB 262) base. From there, they are shipped by sea to Palaw Township for immediate combat training. This is the standard operational procedure being executed daily on the ground.”
Official data from Ranong Immigration confirms that over 500 Myanmar nationals, who were held at the Ranong Detention Center after serving various criminal sentences in Thailand, have been deported to Kawthaung this year alone.
“The vast majority of deportees are young, healthy men,” the local source added. “Information leaked from Kawthaung ward administrators reveals that even healthy men in their 40s and 50s are deemed fit for service. If their families cannot pay the ransom, they are sent straight to the training camps.”
While the exact cost of a buy-back remains difficult to verify independently, local sources report that families of Kawthaung residents must pay in Thai Baht, with ransoms typically averaging around 5,000,000 MMK (approximately 50 Lakhs) per captive.
The scale of the border trap has escalated dramatically over the last two years. Official records show that deportations from Ranong to Kawthaung totaled 2,005 individuals in 2024, surging to 2,072 in 2025.
The Myanmar Witness report highlights that the vast majority of forced repatriations originate in Thailand. Between February 2024 and May 2025, Thailand accounted for 84.4% of all recorded repatriations of Myanmar nationals. This was followed by Bangladesh at 8.7%, Malaysia at 5.8%, and India at 1.1%.
International human rights watchdogs warn that these deportations violate the fundamental international legal principle of non-refoulement, which strictly prohibits states from returning individuals to a country where they face a clear threat of persecution, torture, or forced military conscription.
With the military junta suffering severe battlefield attrition and relying heavily on forced drafts to replenish its ranks, independent analysts warn that deporting countries are effectively supplying the regime with fresh manpower, feeding an unstable civil war that continues to devastate the civilian population.
