A junta column operating in Thaton Township, Mon State, has abducted nearly 30 locals, including women and children, who have not yet been released.
The Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) reported that junta troops who entered Kayinlayseik Village in Thaton Township on September 28 abducted 5 boys aged around 13, 8 girls aged around 16, and 15 men whose ages remain unknown, according to the HURFOM.
“So far, none of them have been released. We’ve heard that soldiers are holding them in temporary detention centers set up at police stations and military training camps. Up to now, there’s been no information about anyone being released,” Nai Aue Mon, director at the HURFOM.
Nai Aue Mon added that the junta has not only failed to release the detainees but is also continuing to abduct more people.
In Mon State, the junta has stepped up arrests of young people, either for forced conscription or without any clear reason, raising serious concern among locals.
“In the past, the junta mainly targeted young people between 18 and 35 for conscription. Now, they’re also abducting minors, including 16- and 17-year-olds. The number of child abductions in Mon State is rising, and this is very concerning. We’re hearing reports of such cases in places like Thaton, Bilin, Mudon, and Mawlamyine,” Nai Aue Mon told NMG.
The junta’s growing focus on abducting young boys is alarming parents. Some have hidden their children in safe places, others have sent them to Thailand, and some young men are seeking refuge in areas controlled by ethnic armed groups. As a result, the number of young workers in Mon State has dropped sharply, making it harder for businesses to operate.
“In Mon State, most people make a living through rubber plantations, orchards, and farming. Young people from local families work in these fields, and some are involved in trading. Their families rely on their labor. Now, with the junta enforcing the unjust conscription law and carrying out abductions, these young people are facing serious hardships. This is a clear violation of human rights. Another consequence is that the available workforce in Mon State has been greatly reduced,” Nai Aue Mon emphasized.
On September 30, junta forces abducted 22-year-old Ko Okkar Kyaw, 17-year-old Maung Khant Thu Aung, and 16-year-old Maung Aung Thu Zin from a rest house in Pawtawmu Village, Thaton Township. HURFOM reported that of the three detained at Thaton Police Station, Ko Okkar Kyaw was released on October 1 following a bail agreement arranged by his family.
In Thaton Township, the junta has established a recruitment unit and is abducting both young men and underage boys. Many of those taken have been sent to the military training school in Thaton Town.
According to HURFOM, as the upcoming election under junta supervision approaches, the coup regime’s repression and human rights abuses in Mon State are on the rise.
