The junta has been forcibly conscripting more young people, including 13-year-old minors, In Kale (Kalay) Town, Sagaing Region,
Junta troops took away about 30 youths, some of whom were just playing sports, from various places in Kale Town between 5 and 10 March 2025.
A source close to one of the abducted youths said to Khonumthung: “A young man from my neighbour’s family was also abducted. He was playing Chinlone [cane ball]with his friends when soldiers suddenly arrived and took them away. About 10 young men were seized from there. Since my neighbour is still a minor, his family hopes to negotiate for his release. I know they went to the regional military command to try to free him, but what happened afterward is unclear. The fate of the other abducted young men is also unknown.”
He also mentioned that a group of boys who were around 13 years of age had gone missing. He said: “Before this incident, there were reports that a group of about 10 boys, all around 13 years old, had gone missing. Nothing has been heard about their whereabouts since. I can’t say for certain whether the junta is conscripting underage children.”
The junta personnel abducting youths for conscription in Kale Town have been driving around in unmarked white Toyota Probox cars, according to locals. They also said that in the quieter wards of Kale Town troops have been going house to house, entering the houses under the pretext of checking overnight guest lists and then sometimes abducting young men that they find during their searches.
According to a local who has been monitoring the junta’s conscription activities in Kale Town, the junta has increased its abduction of young people for conscription in the Kale Town wards of Aung Thitsar, Aung Mingalar, Mangalar Ooyin, Chan Myae Aung Si, Thazin, Taung Zalat, and Tar Han.
He said: “People close to a young man who was taken by soldiers from his home said that when they went to the town police station to ask about him, they saw many other young men around his age being held there. They also said that the soldiers had seized many motorcycles while abducting the young men for conscription. It seems like the number of abducted youths in the town is pretty large.”
According to sources familiar with the junta’s conscription drive, around 60 men have been abducted in Kale Town since the beginning of March 2025, and all of them are currently being held at a government office building in the town.
Also, on 3 March 2025, the junta detained 30 people just outside the town entrance. They were all from villages in the southern part of Kale Township and were going into the town for shopping.