People’s Radio Myanmar (PRM)
July 11, 2026
HPA-AN, MYANMAR — The Myanmar military junta has launched an aggressive new conscription campaign in Hpa-an, Karen State. Throughout June and July, approximately 20 young and middle-aged men have been abducted every single night, local residents told People’s Radio Myanmar (PRM).
According to local sources, the military is heavily targeting men who travel late at night. They are being stopped and arrested without any valid reason at the town’s entrances, exits, and various military patrol checkpoints. The victims are then transported to the Taung Kalay military base, located north of the city, to undergo forced military training.
“They are out hunting for men every night,” an informed local source explained. “If you look at the checkpoints like the main junctions, Htaung Wi, in front of the Division 22 base, the Education College gate, and the roads leading out of town, they are capturing about 20 people a night. The men are taken to the Taung Kalay Light Infantry Battalion 202 and Division 22 compounds to be trained as new soldiers. We hear they will soon be sent to active frontlines in Myawaddy, Kyainseikgyi, and Hpapun.”
The wave of abductions is not limited to the city center. Young travelers are also being randomly seized along the roads connecting Kyondo, Thamanya, Zathabyin, Hton Aing, and Myawaddy.
At the same time, local administrators appointed by the military are exploiting the panic to extort money from families. They are going door-to-door in villages and neighborhoods, demanding money for what they call “replacement fees” to supposedly hire a substitute for the military draft.
“In Kyondo, officials collect 5,000 Kyat from every house at the end of each month, claiming it is to hire replacement soldiers,” a local woman shared. “If a family has a young man working far away, and his name is drawn for the draft, the officials demand millions of Kyat. They promise to use the money to hire a substitute, but in reality, they just fill the spot with one of the poor men they kidnapped off the street. We have nowhere to report this crime, so we are just forced to pay.”
Sources close to local armed groups report that these forced conscription raids are a joint operation. The military is working alongside junta appointed local leaders, village militias, and allied armed groups like the Border Guard Force (BGF) and the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA).
Worse still, the troops are not only kidnapping people. They are also seizing the victims’ motorcycles and private cars. The armed groups are reportedly keeping the stolen vehicles for personal use, selling them for profit, or using the money to fund their own daily expenses and alcohol.
