By Ko Myo / MPA
The breakdown of law and order in Yangon has reached critical levels, with security sources now warning that Myanmar’s former capital is becoming more dangerous than the country’s notorious lawless border regions.
Residents and police insiders report that the city is currently plagued by a surge in violent crime, including brazen kidnappings, rampant extortion, and forced conscription, often perpetrated with impunity.
A police source in Yangon told Myanmar Pressphoto Agency (MPA) that the security situation has deteriorated beyond that of border towns like Myawaddy, which are infamous for transnational crime and online scam centres.
“Apart from the massive ‘Kyar Phant’ scam compounds seen at the border, everything else is now worse in Yangon,” the police source said.
The proliferation of weapons is a major concern. “Guns are becoming as common in Yangon as they are in the border conflict zones,” the source added.
However, for ordinary citizens, the threat of forced conscription remains the most immediate danger. The source noted that the random snatching of pedestrians for military service—known locally as “portering”—is now more prevalent on the streets of Yangon than in border areas.
Kidnapping for ransom has also become an open enterprise. According to reports, criminal gangs are operating with little fear of arrest.
“Unless a gang fails to pay their bribes, the police will not intervene, even if they witness a kidnapping,” the source alleged.
The Rangoon Scout Network (RSN), a local monitoring group, reports receiving daily accounts of pickpocketing, robbery, and fraud.
“The rule of law exists only on paper,” an RSN official said. “On the ground, it has been chaos for a long time.”
Residents say the drug trade has moved out of the shadows, with narcotics being sold openly in neighbourhoods alongside a rise in illegal gambling dens and massage parlours. Police raids are described as “theatrical,” with ringleaders allegedly tipped off to go into hiding before authorities arrive, only to resume operations shortly after.
The root of this impunity appears to be political. Security sources indicate that local gangsters are increasingly joining the “Pyu Saw Htee”—pro-military militias armed and backed by the junta.
By establishing direct links with local military units and paying protection money, these groups are reportedly free to commit crimes and expand their business interests without fear of legal repercussions.
