Military junta forces and associated Pyu Saw Htee militias carried out at least 30 arbitrary arrests across Yangon throughout April 2026, according to data from the Rangoon Scout Network (RSN).

The detentions occurred primarily in the Hlaing, Thanlyin, South Dagon, and Thaketa townships.

“We knew that about 30 people were arbitrarily arrested in April. They were detained in various ways. In some cases, they were lured with fake job offers and then handed over to the military,” said an RSN official.

RSN officials also reported a variety of methods used to seize residents, including house-to-house searches based on military conscription lists, sudden overnight guest list inspections, and at least one instance of a victim being lured through a fraudulent job offer.

While the total number of arrests in April was lower than the 100 recorded in March or the 80 in January, observers suggest the decrease was a tactical move by the junta to project an image of normalcy during the Myanmar New Year, also known as the Thingyan festival.

“Compared to previous months, the number of reported arrests has decreased. I think this is partly because the junta was trying to organize a crowded Thingyan festival” the official added.

Local residents emphasize that the risk of forced recruitment remains high, particularly for the urban poor.

“Forced recruitment is really happening in Yangon,” said a resident of Thingangyun Township. “However, these incidents don’t seem to affect those who are financially well-off. Beer shops and bars are still full of people. It’s the grassroots and the poor who are truly suffering.”

Despite the junta’s efforts to project control through security patrols and militia activity, resistance persists within the city. On 2 May, four revolutionary groups defied the regime’s tight security by hanging banners on a pedestrian bridge in Yangon, declaring “Our President is U Win Myint.”