Narinjara News, July 12, 2025,

The military council detained two brothers from Upper Thinganet Village in Arakan (Rakhine) State's Minbya Township as they were traveling to China for employment that brokers had arranged. The two were arrested and forcibly conscripted into the army, according to a resident who spoke with Narinjara News Agency.

According to him, the two brothers taken into custody are Ko Kyaw Aye Tin, 35, and Ko Zaw Lin, 22, who are the sons of U Ko Lin and Daw Khin Win Kyi.

"Min Aung Hlaing's forces captured them on their way to China and took them to serve in the military. The broker informed me. Where they were detained was not disclosed by him. The siblings were reportedly taken into custody in the Magway region, which is located outside of Rakhine. We haven't heard any updates so far. It has been over a month,” he said.

He claimed that because there has been no news about them for over a month since their arrest, they are thought to be undergoing military training.

Because of the dearth of employment opportunities in Rakhine State and the public service law passed by the Arakan Army, some Rakhine youth have fled Rakhine State with the assistance of brokers, while others have been taken into custody by the military council and forced into military service.

In the last week of June, the military council detained 46 people from Taungup Township who were going to Yangon at the Nawaday Bridge checkpoint in Pyay, Bago Region, and forced them into military service.

Between June 25 and 27, around 50 individuals were taken into custody.

According to a reliable source, one man and three women among them were freed after paying 5 million kyats each, while the remaining 46 were detained and conscripted into the military since they were young and unable to make similar payments.

On June 16, a relative informed Narinjara that the military council detained six Arakanese youth who were traveling back to Rakhine from Yangon at the Pyay highway bus terminal and transported them to Taunggyi for military service.

The youngsters are between 17 and 30 years old and come from Kyauktaw, Ann, and Myebon Townships. One of the lads is 30 years old and hails from Nyaung Yon Taung hamlet in Ann Township, while the other is 17 years old and comes from Kyauktaw.

Tens of thousands of Arakanese young people have been arrested in Burma proper, including Yangon, and transferred for training and military duty, according to credible sources.