Border News Agency
Kyauktaw, June 8
Family members have confirmed that more than 30 young people who attempted to flee from areas controlled by the Arakan Army (AA) have been arrested and forced into military service.
These youths were reportedly trying to secretly cross into junta-controlled territory via Ann Township last May when they were captured by the Arakan Army.
Family members said that the youths were being recruited and transported by human traffickers, and they were arrested while waiting for a trafficker who was supposed to take them from Ann Township to Yangon.
A family member told Border News Agency that, “They were arrested while still waiting because the trafficker who was supposed to pick them up hadn’t arrived yet. During the arrest, they were interrogated about where they were going, what they were going to do, and who the trafficker was. When they couldn’t answer – since they didn’t know who the trafficker from Ann side was – they were beaten and verbally abused. Later, all the young men were taken away and told they would have to serve in the military.”
According to family members, the youths were planning to travel from Arakan Army-controlled areas to China for work, and a trafficker from Dae Wun Village in Kyauk Taw Township had arranged to transport them to Yangon.
They added that these traffickers typically charge around 2 million kyats per person to transport people from Arakan to Yangon, but if the travelers are arrested along the way, the traffickers do not take any responsibility or provide assistance.
Family members said that two of the youths, who were in poor health, were released, while the rest are currently undergoing military training under the Arakan Army.
A family member told Border News Agency, “My husband had been unwell even before leaving the village and was taking medication. We explained that he wasn’t fit for military service due to his health and that there were difficulties at home, so they released him. But the rest, including both young men and women, were forcibly taken to serve in the military.”
On May 22, the Arakan Army issued a warning stating that individuals eligible for military service in the Arakan region are not permitted to leave their area of residence until the end of the emergency period. The Arakan People’s Revolutionary Government has declared a national defense emergency provision, requiring both men and women to serve in the military for up to two years, depending on their age group.
As a result, the Arakan Army has also announced that anyone found transporting individuals in exchange for money will be prosecuted under the existing laws.
