Young men live in fear of being snatched off the streets and sold to Myanmar's army

Young men in Myanmar are living with fears that they could be taken from the streets and sold to the country’s military, as authorities face orders to meet recruitment targets aggressively.

Pressure to meet military targets

The recruitment drive has created conditions in which corruption, extortion and abductions are reported as consequences of efforts to fulfil the military’s quotas. The pressure on authorities to deliver recruits has heightened concerns over how young men are being targeted.

For those affected, the issue is not limited to formal enlistment. The fear of being seized and transferred to the army has become a central concern, according to the information provided. The allegations point to a recruitment process marked by coercion rather than voluntary participation.

Risks linked to the campaign

Corruption and extortion add financial and institutional abuse to the recruitment effort, while abductions create a direct threat to personal safety. Together, these practices raise concerns about the methods being used to satisfy military manpower demands.

The available information does not indicate how long the recruitment orders will remain in place or whether authorities will change their approach. For now, the aggressive push to meet quotas continues to leave young men facing uncertainty and fear.