Residents of Taunggyi urged to heighten vigilance as forced conscription and arbitrary arrests intensify

Mizzima

Residents in the Shan State capital of Taunggyi are being advised to avoid nighttime travel and exercise extreme caution as military junta forces and the pro-regime Pa-O National Organization/Army (PNO/PNA) escalate forced recruitment drives.

Local sources report that since late February 2026, authorities have shifted from a “negotiable” system where families could previously pay bribes or find substitutes to a policy of immediate arrest for those appearing on military service lists.

This crackdown has extended into municipal staff housing and urban wards, where working-class residents who cannot afford “ransom” payments are being taken directly into custody for military training.

“Since the conscription law was enacted, there have been calls for military service through ward offices. The Township General Administration Department leads the arrests and forced conscription, while the PNO/PNA also conducts recruitment. Since martial law is effectively in full force, they have total control,” said a local source in Taunggyi.

Taunggyi, which is fully controlled by the military junta, consists of 22 wards. Previously, those on the conscription list could negotiate through payments or find substitutes. However, since late February, authorities have reportedly begun arresting and taking away those listed on the conscription roster.

“Before, if you were on the list, you could negotiate, either serve or pay. If you could afford to pay, you could avoid service. But that’s no longer this situation. Now, they arrest people on the list immediately to keep them from running away,” a Taunggyi resident said.

Similarly, forced conscription persists in several wards across Taunggyi, with residents reporting that some individuals have had to be ransomed back with money.

“Many locals in Taunggyi find it hard to accept the reality of forced conscription. Those with money try to settle it quietly if they get caught. Recently, there were even arrests inside municipal staff housing. Since many people there are from the working class and cannot afford to pay, they end up being taken for military service,” the resident said.

In recent days, rumours have also circulated locally regarding the forced conscription of women along the road to Shwe Bone Pwint Pagoda in Taunggyi.

While there is a junta security outpost on the hill road to the pagoda, an official from TGI Support Revolution, a group reporting on Taunggyi news stated they have yet to confirm the reports of women being forcibly taken for military service.

“Last month, people going up the hill reported being harassed by police who used threats as an excuse to demand money. There is a military outpost there, and they tend to extort visitors when they see an opportunity. However, we haven’t received any direct reports about women being forcibly conscripted,” the official said.

Residents added that forced conscription has been ongoing in both urban Taunggyi and surrounding villages since the junta enacted the military service law, though the exact number of those detained remains unknown.

Taunggyi residents are being advised to avoid traveling at night and to live cautiously to escape being caught in forced recruitment drives.

As the capital of Shan State, Taunggyi has been under tight security since the coup, controlled by a combination of junta troops and local pro-military militias.