Amid escalating tensions in Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady Region, local sources report a sweeping military conscription campaign in Ingapuand Bogale Townships, fueled by fears of the Arakan Army (AA) and People’s Defense Forces (PDF) advancing into the area.
Following clashes in Laymyethnar Township where AA and PDF forces reportedly made gains, the military is ramping up its presence in key locations such as Maezali Hill, Kwinkauk, and surrounding villages. The situation has triggered a widespread crackdown, with soldiers allegedly arresting village youths on a daily basis for rapid military training.
The No. 5 Officer Training School (OTC-5) in Ingapu Township has emerged as the epicenter of this operation, reportedly training new recruits in preparation for direct confrontations with AA and PDF units.
“OTC-5 is dragging young men from Maezali and Kwinkauk for short-term combat training. Villagers are so afraid, they now sleep in the jungle at night,” one resident told Khit Thit News. “There’s no youth left in the villages anymore.”
In the Kwinkauk area, military informants—including individuals like Thein Zaw, Thin Thin Moe (wife of Sgt. Thein Htun), and Mini—are allegedly helping the army identify conscription-aged youths. Once located, OTC-5 is immediately called to carry out arrests. Informants reportedly receive immunity in exchange for cooperation.
A chilling example emerged from Garet village: a local fisherman was arrested near Kone Taung Ni after his location was shared by informants. Similarly, on May 21, a group of traveling youths was detained and taken to OTC-5, locals confirmed.
The wave of arrests is not confined to Ingapu. In Bogale Township’s Kyun Nyo Gyi Island, residents are facing a similar crisis. The army is reportedly detaining young men around the clock, and some who fled remain missing without contact.
“We don’t know if they’re alive or dead,” said a villager from Kyun Nyo Gyi. “The military is forcing families to turn in their sons. Farming has stopped. There’s no one left to work the fields.”
The military is justifying the crackdown as a necessary step to “defend Ayeyarwady with Ayeyarwady’s youth.”
Earlier this year, the AA officially confirmed that revolutionary forces under its command had entered Laymyethnar and seized several military outposts—heightening fears that conflict in the Ayeyarwady Region may only be beginning.
BOB Post
