--- title: "Myanmar's Junta Imposes Strict Curfew on Young Men and Women" url: https://noti.group/myanmar-s-junta-imposes-strict-curfew-on-young-men-and-women/ language: en publisher: "Noti Group" section: "World News" published: 2026-10-10T22:13:08.000Z updated: 2026-10-11T07:38:45.905Z id: efc70c18-f738-4703-9cd8-2b00375d0205 source: "BBC News World https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c680zlny0gk4o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss" attribution: "Link to https://noti.group/myanmar-s-junta-imposes-strict-curfew-on-young-men-and-women/ and name Noti Group when you quote or summarize this story." --- # Myanmar's Junta Imposes Strict Curfew on Young Men and Women A strict curfew has been implemented in Hpa-An, the capital of Myanmar's southern Karen state, restricting young men and women from venturing out after dark due to an atmosphere of fear and intimidation. In Hpa-An, the capital of Myanmar's southern Karen state, a strict curfew has taken hold for young men and women. They are advised not to venture out after dark due to an atmosphere of fear and intimidation. The 26-year-old tuk tuk driver, who wishes to remain anonymous, navigates his daily routine with caution. He receives frequent calls from family members reminding him to be vigilant while driving passengers and to avoid traveling too far at night. Local residents report that plain-clothed men, believed to be affiliated with the Myanmar junta, have been roaming the streets of Hpa-An. These individuals are allegedly arresting people in their teens, 20s, and 30s and forcing them into military service without any clear justification or due process. The authorities have been ordered by higher-ups to aggressively fulfill recruitment quotas across various jurisdictions. This directive has been revealed through leaked documents obtained by a local news outlet. The junta's ranks are being bolstered as it struggles to contain the ongoing conflict against ethnic militias, pro-democracy groups, and civilian-led resistance movements. Zaw Min is one of many young men in his community who are facing the prospect of conscription into the military. His siblings have all fled the area due to their age and the recruitment quotas that apply to them. Those who remain are often instructed by their parents to be home before nightfall. Myanmar has been embroiled in a brutal civil war since February 2021, when the country's own military staged a coup against democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. This marked the beginning of a long and bloody conflict that shows no signs of abating. The junta has introduced a mandatory conscription law, requiring all men aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 to 27 to serve at least two years under military command. Those who refuse face severe penalties, including up to five years in prison. The implementation of the new law has sent a chill through the civilian population in Myanmar, with many fearing for their safety. According to sources close to the matter, those who refuse to comply face severe consequences, including lengthy prison sentences. In Hpa-An, residents are on high alert as security forces continue to track and arrest young people suspected of evading conscription. Many have been coerced or extorted into joining the military under false pretenses, while others have simply disappeared. Military officials like Maj Naung Yoe acknowledge that the new law has had a significant impact on civilians, with some estimating that over 100,000 young recruits have been forcibly conscripted in just two-and-a-half years. The methods used to identify and apprehend these individuals are reportedly brutal and arbitrary. Efforts by international rights groups to hold the Myanmar government accountable for their actions have met with silence from authorities. When approached for comment, a spokesperson for the Central Body for Summoning People's Military Servants declined to respond to specific allegations of forced recruitment and abductions. The junta's reliance on conscripts has allowed them to regain control over several key regions in Myanmar. Observers note that reinforcements have played a crucial role in this effort, giving the regime an upper hand against opposition forces. As more young people evade conscription or join the resistance, the military's tactics have grown increasingly extreme. Human rights organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have documented widespread abuses, including the abduction of civilians forced into military service. The war in Myanmar shows no signs of abating anytime soon, with both sides continuing to clash over territory and resources. As the conflict drags on, concerns grow about the human cost of this ongoing struggle, with many innocent civilians caught in the crossfire. The number of missing person notices in Myanmar has skyrocketed since the country's military coup in 2021. According to researchers, the figure rose from four in January 2021 to a staggering 82 just four years later. This alarming trend has been linked to the military's recruitment practices, which often involve detention, coercion, and disappearance. The researchers concluded that much of the military's recruitment is carried out without formal notice to families or through informal means. Men and boys make up the majority of reported missing persons in Myanmar. This demographic is disproportionately affected by the country's ongoing conflict, with many young men being forcibly conscripted into the army. One such case involves a 33-year-old man named Phyo Wai, who was taken from his home in Yangon on May 8, 2025. His wife, Ma Moe San Pan, recalls an argument between them before he left home, but she had no idea that her husband would be sold to the military. Ma Moe San Pan's cousin worked at the local ward administration office and was asked by his sister-in-law to bring Phyo Wai back home. However, in a shocking twist, it emerged that the cousin had taken Phyo Wai to another ward in exchange for 4 million kyats, which is approximately $900 or £680. The BBC attempted to contact Ma Moe San Pan's cousin but was unable to reach him. In an interview with the outlet, U Maung Maung Lwin, the administrator of the ward that received Phyo Wai, admitted his role in sending him to the military recruitment authorities. When questioned about allegations of individuals being conscripted outside their home township, U Maung Maung Lwin explained that transfers from other townships do occur when local quotas cannot be met. This admission raises further concerns about the human cost of Myanmar's ongoing conflict. The junta's mandatory conscription laws have taken on a sinister twist in Myanmar, where officials are now profiting from the sale of young men into military service. Ma Moe San Pan's experience is a stark illustration of this grim reality. Her husband Phyo Wai was forcibly conscripted after being lured by promises of help and made to sign documents, she claims. The ward administration office allegedly sold her husband to another ward, highlighting the corrupt practices that have taken hold at local levels. Ma Moe San Pan also lost 4.5 million kyats in a separate scam, which she reported to the police. She has filed two complaints with the authorities, one for the sale of her husband into military service and the other for the loss of money to scammers. However, the police declined to include human trafficking charges, citing a requirement that such cases involve individuals being sold abroad. Ma Moe San Pan remains unaware of her husband's whereabouts, adding to the distress she has endured since his disappearance. Her case is not an isolated incident; rather it highlights a broader pattern of exploitation and abuse. Pressure from higher levels in the regime has created perverse incentives for officials lower down the chain of command, fuelling an illicit market for eligible recruits. This has led to coercive arrests and recruitment drives that have transformed into a modern-day slavery and human trafficking enterprise. Security officials are now resorting to increasingly desperate measures to acquire young men, including setting traps via fake job advertisements and forcibly entering people's homes. A reserve fire brigade unit commander was arrested last month for allegedly luring men to his house with promises of employment opportunities. He is accused of trapping them in detention rooms, a tactic that has been used by various groups to press-gang and arrest young people. Lower-level administrative bodies, military personnel, and local criminal gangs are all involved in this practice, according to Naung Yoe. They sell these individuals to military units or traffic substitute recruits on behalf of wealthy individuals seeking to buy their way out of service. Conscription orders may be indiscriminate, but wealthier conscripts can often pay to dodge the draft and be replaced by someone more financially vulnerable. The poor are disproportionately affected by this practice, as they have no means to pay their way out. Naung Yoe says that these practices are escalating due to difficulties in meeting monthly recruitment quotas and the financial profits made from recruit trading. The junta's desperation for manpower is evident in its hardening efforts to conscript unwilling youth into a conflict that underscores its embattled position in the civil war. This has generated further difficulties for young people in Myanmar, who are already affected by years of civil war. Dr Sandeep Singh notes that the climate surrounding routine abductions has left them and their families with significant challenges. The junta's reliance on forced conscription reveals its empty hand, and its inability to meet recruitment quotas through legitimate means is a telling sign of its desperation for manpower. Many young men in Myanmar are now living in a state of constant fear, as they become increasingly vulnerable to being forcibly conscripted into the army and sent to fight in a conflict that they strongly oppose. The junta's reliance on forced conscription has severe consequences for the country's economy, leading to massive internal displacement and severe labour shortages. This has resulted in people fleeing to neighbouring countries in search of safety and security. The situation is further complicated by the fact that many potential recruits are actively opposing the conflict, making it difficult for the army to meet its recruitment quotas. The junta's tactics have been likened to those of subjugation, with observers noting that the conscription law has become yet another tool in their arsenal. As one observer noted, "the generals have benefited by using military law to make the citizens fight against each other." --- Source: [BBC News World](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c680zlny0gk4o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss) Published by Noti Group: https://noti.group/myanmar-s-junta-imposes-strict-curfew-on-young-men-and-women/