A---
A---, 26 years old, is a divorced man who was staying in Aa--- village [under Burma military regime control], Maubin Town, Ayeyarwady Region, at his uncle’s house. He worked as a daily labourer at a wood processing factory located 15 minutes away from his uncle’s house.
In August 2025 [specific date unknown to KHRG], at 8:30 pm, A--- finished working and came home with two colleagues. Later, A--- parted ways with his two colleagues and continued walking home alone. While he was walking, an unknown car suddenly pulled up in front of him. Then, four to five men holding short guns came out of the car and forced him into the car boot. Although he did not want to follow their demands, he did not want to be tortured, so he complied.
The next morning, he [A---] was at a Battalion #27 recruitment centre in Maubin Town. He remained there for 12 days. Then, he was sent to Moe Sway [military] training camp, [Naypyidaw Union Territory,] for three months and to Naypyidaw Leh Way [military] training camp, [Naypyidaw Union Territory,] for two weeks. He stayed a week at [Light Infantry Battalion (LIB)[2]] #306 [based in Sha Say Bo army camp, located near Ac--- village, Per Htee village tract,[3] Htaw Ta Htoo (Htantabin) Township, Taw Oo (Toungoo) District]. Then, he was sent to the frontline at Boo M’Tee army camp, which is run by the SSPC [State Security Peace Commission][4] and is located near Ad--- village, Maw Nay Pwar Town, Htaw Ta Htoo Township. He stayed at Boo M’Tee army camp for a month.
A---’s mandatory military service batch number was #Af--- and his individual number was [censored for security]. He was forced to serve in the [Burma] Army[5] for over five months in total.
B---
In February 2025 [specific date unknown to KHRG], B---, 25 years old, was working as a construction worker somewhere in Tat Kone Town, Naypyidaw Union Territory, which is an hour by car from his own village, Ab--- village [under Burma military regime control], Nyaung Kone Sat Kone village tract, Bobba Thiri Township, Naypyidaw [Union Territory]. While working, B--- was told by three local leaders to follow them and sign a document [he did not know the content and purpose of this document]. The three leaders were a village administrator of Ab--- village, a village administrator from Ae--- village [under Burma military regime control], Nyaung Kone Sat Kone village tract, and a former soldier [of the Burma Army] (names unknown to KHRG). The three leaders told B--- that that after he signed the document, he would be released and it would not take long. B--- complied and followed the three leaders into their car. However, they lied to him, [and he believed they lied because they] were followers of Min Aung Hlaing,[6] and he was forcibly recruited. They took B--- to Naypyidaw [recruitment centre] by car.
B--- stayed 15 days at the recruitment centre for a medical checkup. Then, he was sent to Moe Sway [military training camp], Naypyidaw Union Territory, for four months [for military training]. The trainers were Thein Zaw Oo (a sergeant) and Lieutenant Kyaw Sway. [B--- stayed for] two months at LIB #300 camp, Naypyidaw, [to receive] more training. Then, he was forced to serve 15 days at LIB #306, located near Ac--- village, and [was assigned] eight months at Boo M’Tee army camp for frontline soldiers.
Later [date unknown to KHRG], B--- escaped from Boo M’Tee army camp. [When he escaped,] he wore casual clothes [to blend in with villagers] and went to an Oway Ride Taxi area [and took a taxi] back to his village. He hid for two months. Then, the Ab--- village administrator found out his whereabouts and provided the information to Burma [Army] soldiers. On an unknown date at 7 pm, they [the Burma Army soldiers] came [to where B--- lived] and beat him, tied his hands behind his back, arrested him, took him to LIB #306, and sentenced him to three months of hard labour. Later, he was sent to Boo M’Tee [army camp]. Major Hein Win Aung was the camp commander of Boo M’Tee army camp [at the time]. B--- stayed at Boo M’Tee army camp for a month.
B---’s mandatory military service batch number was #Ag--- and his individual number was [censored for security]. He [was forced to] serve for one year and two months. [The timelines reported by B--- had inconsistencies, but KHRG was unable to contact him for follow-up to clarify.]
C---
C--- was an 18-year-old villager who was also forcibly recruited. [KHRG] does not have any additional information about C---, as he fled to an unknown location.
Escape from Boo M’Tee army camp
On 28 January 2026, at 8 pm, A---, B---, and C--- escaped the frontline Boo M’Tee army camp together. They fled because, during the time they were captured, individuals with higher ranks frequently tortured, cursed, and beat [the trainees]. Moreover, they were forcibly recruited, and they did not want to be soldiers. They wanted to go back home and live peaceful lives with their families. There had been other escape incidents from this army camp prior to the escape of these three villagers as well.
While fleeing, A---, B---, and C--- struggled to return home via the main road because there were many Burma Army checkpoints, and they worried that they would get rearrested. Per Htee village tract and Zayat Gyi Taung Chan village tract, Htaw Ta Htoo Township, [where the section of the main road that they were travelling on is located,] are packed with SSPC army camps and gates. Thus, they took different paths [instead of using the main road]. [C--- took a different path from the other two escapees.] While they [A--- and B---] were walking on a farmland path and trying to find their way, they encountered KNU [Karen National Union][7] security leaders who suspected that they [A--- and B---] were lying [and were Burma Army soldiers]. When asked, the two responded that they were escaping from Boo M’Tee army camp.
On 1 February 2026, the two [A--- and B---] were living in a KNU-controlled area and were able to contact their family members. The KNU monitored the two escapees [and determined that they were civilians, so they sent them back home].
Further background reading on the situation on forced recruitment in Southeast Burma/Myanmar can be found in the following KHRG reports: