According to the Rangoon Scout Network (RSN), the Myanmar junta arbitrarily detained 2,035 civilians in Yangon between January and December 2025. Of those arrested, 282 people were later released, while 294 were transferred to prisons and military training schools. The whereabouts and current status of the remaining 1,459 detainees are still unknown.
The data indicates that arrests peaked in the early months of 2025. By township, the highest numbers of arrests were recorded in Thaketa, North Dagon, Thingangyun, North Okkalapa, Sanchaung, and Insein compared to other areas of Yangon.
According to RSN, 840 individuals were arrested during indiscriminate sweeps, 597 while walking on the streets, 172 sitting on the roadside, 62 in shops, and nine inside vehicles. The remaining arrests occurred during random inspections, household guest-list checks, and similar operations.
RSN also reported that 393 people were arrested under the pretext of being sent to military training schools. Among these, 177 were actually transferred to training centres, 29 were released after paying money, while the fate of the remaining 182 individuals remains unknown.
“We strongly advise people not to travel alone, especially at night or in deserted areas, and to avoid sitting by the roadside at night,” an RSN official stated. “Residents should stay alert in their neighbourhoods and be prepared to temporarily relocate if they hear news related to forced conscription.”
RSN noted that arrests related to robbery, drug offenses, gambling, fraud, and cases of missing persons were not included in the figures for arbitrary arrests cited in the report.
A Yangon-based human rights organization commented to Mizzima that human rights encompass both freedom from fear and freedom from want. “At its core, it is about living without fear. No one has the right to violate a person’s fundamental freedoms. People must be able to live safely and securely without fear. If that is possible, human rights exist; if not, they do not,” the organization stated.
Residents also reported that the junta has recently intensified guest-list inspections in townships such as Tamwe and Thaketa, specifically targeting Rakhine internally displaced persons and individuals holding Rakhine State ID cards marked with ’11/’. Homes deemed suspicious are reportedly searched thoroughly, and arbitrary arrests and extortion are carried out.
Additionally, Yangon residents indicated that in some townships involved in the final phase of elections, individuals living under guest-list registration have faced ongoing threats and pressure to vote.
Overall, Yangon has seen an escalation in daily arrests, frequent guest-list inspections, voter registration activities, and coercion to participate in voting, all carried out by the junta and its affiliated groups.
