The Myanmar military junta has escalated the abduction of young people for forced military conscription in Hpa-An, the capital of Karen State, according to residents and sources.

In downtown Hpa-An, authorities are primarily targeting young casual laborers, masons, shop employees, and commuters traveling to and from work. While some detainees have been released, it is often only after families negotiate and pay substantial bribes.

“Authorities carefully plan their daily abductions to prevent leaks. A friend of mine was arrested a few days ago. He was only released after showing his national identification card (NIC) and proving he lived locally. However, his family still had to pay 1 million MMK in cash,” a Hpa-An resident said.

Security has also tightened on urban entry and exit points, checkpoints, and rural-urban connecting roads, with young travelers facing intense scrutiny.

While authorities have not yet conducted direct, open raids inside rural villages, local communities are forced to supply conscripts on a rotational basis to meet strict military quotas.

In some instances, villages must hire migrant workers to serve as substitutes.

“We have to find people willing to go in exchange for money because we cannot keep meeting the junta’s monthly quota. Villages have agreed to provide the required number of conscripts once every three or four months, but when we fall short, we have to pay someone to take their place,” a village administration source in Hpa-An Township told the Karen Information Center (KIC).

Although mass arrests have not yet occurred inside villages, local administrators are urging residents to remain vigilant and minimize travel risks.

Beyond downtown Hpa-An, the regime has established strict checkpoints along major transport arteries—including the Myawaddy-Kawkareik-Kyondoe-Hpa-An Road, the Kyondoe-Kyarkalay-Zarthapyin Road, and the Thanlwin River bridges leading into the city—where security forces rigorously inspect identification documents.

Recent social media reports alleged that during a Karen State government meeting in late August, regime-appointed Chief Minister Saw Myint Oo ordered officials to issue direct military service summonses if recruitment quotas fell short, authorizing arrests if necessary.

The Karen State government has since denied these claims, calling them false.