Myanmar's military junta has arrested at least 166 people in Yangon since April 2026, with an escalation in detentions reported during the first two weeks of July, according to data from the Rangoon Scout Network (RSN), an underground group tracking military movements in the commercial capital.
RSN documented 150 arrests between April and June, and an additional 16 cases between July 1 and July 13.
An RSN official told Mizzima that junta forces are using various tactics to carry out these arbitrary detentions.
Security forces have been observed seizing pedestrians on the street, detaining commuters inside railway stations, and launching targeted raids on factories and workshops.
“While some individuals were reportedly detained for forced military conscription, the exact pretexts for the majority of these arrests remain unconfirmed,” the RSN official said. “The clampdown intensified approximately 10 days before the scheduled start of the next military training intake. We anticipate a further surge in arrests beginning around mid-July.”
The spike in enforcement has heavily targeted working-class neighborhoods, with the highest concentration of arrests recorded in South Dagon, North Okkalapa, and Mingaladon townships.
Residents report that the operations predominantly target youth and young adults aged between 20 and 30.
“The situation is particularly severe near the North Okkalapa bus terminal, where people are being snatched off the streets daily,” a resident told Mizzima. “Just a few days ago around 8:00 PM, my husband and I were walking back from a street-corner stall when we witnessed a young man being forcefully bundled into an unmarked Alphard-type van. The vehicle then sped toward us, forcing us to run for safety.”
In tandem with the street sweeps, Yangon residents report that local administrative authorities have intensified overnight guest-registration inspections—a legal mechanism used to track down individuals living outside their registered households.
Authorities have also increased the aggressive collection of informal "exemption fees" from families seeking to shield their eligible children from conscription.
The military junta’s compulsory conscription drive, first enforced in early 2024 to offset significant battlefield losses, has reportedly advanced to its 27th training batch.
