The junta has armed and deployed inmates from Kyaikmaraw Prison in Mon State’s Kyaikmaraw Township to serve as security personnel during the phased election, according to a source with knowledge of the matter.
These armed inmates were deployed mainly in villages across the township, where they were assigned guard and messenger duties. They were also pressured by the junta to fight alongside regime soldiers if resistance forces launched attacks.
The junta and prison authorities told inmates that they would have to serve in the military to secure their release, and they complied, ultimately being used as election security, a Kyaikmaraw resident familiar with the matter told IMNA.
“At a glance, they look just like junta soldiers. But when you ask around, you find that the number of real soldiers is small and most of those in uniform and carrying weapons are actually inmates. In each group, there are usually only about two real soldiers. The inmates are also clearly not very familiar with handling guns. The junta forced them to serve in the military for five years in exchange for their release from prison, so they complied,” he said. Most of the inmates armed by the junta are between 40 and 50 years old, he added.
In Kyaikmaraw Township, the junta has assigned groups of about 100 armed inmates to patrol villages such as Taranar, Kawtdun, and Kawtpanaw each night at around 8:00 p.m.
The Political Prisoners Network - Myanmar (PPNM) confirmed to IMNA that it is investigating reports that the junta is using prisoners to carry weapons for profit.
The use of inmates in military operations, as human shields, and in similar roles endangers their lives and raises serious human rights concerns, a PPNM official said.
“Inmates should remain in prison. They should not be sent to places where their lives are at risk, even though they are convicted criminals. While their freedom may be restricted, their human dignity and lives must still be protected. Instead, the junta is improperly exploiting prisoners to make up for its declining manpower. This is a human rights violation and may even amount to a war crime. It should not be happening,” he emphasized.
According to the PPNM, the junta’s practice of offering reduced prison sentences in exchange for military service also violates international human rights law.
In December 2025, several villages in Kyaikmaraw Township received letters threatening residents with imprisonment if they refused to join the junta’s conscription drive.
