Residents in villages along the border of Mon and Karen States in southeastern Myanmar are expressing growing alarm over the lack of transparency, arbitrary detentions, and forced conscription carried out by local armed groups under the guise of anti-drug operations.
Local armed groups have intensified drug enforcement operations in communities along the Gyaing River, frequently summoning, interrogating, and detaining individuals suspected of drug involvement.
However, local sources report that several detainees have been released only after paying money, while others remain held incommunicado at military bases for extended periods.
In July alone, at least 10 youths from villages including Tarana and Kawthathaw were detained on suspicion of drug-related activities.
"Anti-drug operations are necessary, but arrests must be based on solid evidence, not mere suspicion," a male resident from the Gyaing River area told MNA. "Distributors and traffickers should face proper legal action, but young drug users should not be subjected to harsh, arbitrary punishment without informing their families."
Beyond arbitrary arrests, residents report that some detainees are being forcibly recruited into local armed factions and forced to undergo military training at remote bases without due process.
"Everyone who is arrested is subjected to punishment regardless of whether there is evidence," a resident explained. "Some are forced to serve as soldiers or undergo military training at bases. There is no legal process or justice in this."
The border region between Mon and Karen States is under the influence and control of several armed entities, including the Ramonnya Mon Army (RMA), the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA), and the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA)—the armed wing of the Karen National Union (KNU).
In April 2026, the DKBA's Downa Western Front No. 2, Tactical Command No. 2, issued a public warning stating that anyone found possessing, selling, or distributing illicit psychotropic substances would face up to three years in prison.
Despite such official announcements, residents emphasize that current enforcement methods lack oversight and violate basic legal safeguards.
