“They took him to do electrical work, then forced him into the training. Now he’s dead because he was sent to war,” said a Rohingya man’s mother whose son was forcibly recruited by Myanmar’s military and later killed after being sent to the battlefield. Human Rights Watch documented her account in interviews with Rohingya civilians and their families in 2024. The Tatmadaw tricked men into joining by offering 4,800 kyat a day, rice, and full citizenship status. But none of these offers were fulfilled, and the authority did not allow families to see or recover the bodies of those who died.
More than two years later, as of August 2026, the circumstances surrounding Rohingya recruitment in Rakhine have not changed much. Instead, recent reports indicate that the Tatmadaw is formalizing and expanding the practice around Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine State. The latest order requires Rohingya communities in Sittwe Township to provide new recruits on a regular basis as the military prepares for continued pressure from the Arakan Army (AA).
The regime ordered the recruitment of 20 Rohingya men per month from wards, villages and internally displaced persons’ camps in Sittwe Township. The order reportedly targets men aged 18 to 35. Under the wider conscription framework, women between 18 and 27 can also be required to serve, while for certain skilled professionals such as doctors, engineers, and mechanics, the age limit goes up. Men up to age 45 and women up to age 35 face mandatory service of up to three years.
The order was issued at a meeting in late July by Kyaw Thura, the Rakhine State Minister for Security and Border Affairs. Rohingya elders from five urban wards in Sittwe are instructed to identify eligible men for military service. Residents also reported that communities are being required to contribute money toward the salaries and daily food requirements of those recruited.
The first recruits began training in April 2024, and by April 2026, the first batch of 385 male conscripts have completed their two-year term, and since then, nearly 100,000 people have been conscripted nationwide. During the 2024 campaign, men were recruited from Sittwe, Maungdaw, Buthidaung, Pauktaw and Kyauktaw, including from internally displaced persons’ camps. Some were reportedly given only brief training before being sent to areas of active fighting, including Rathedaung, where five of about 100 recruits from Sittwe camps were killed and 10 seriously injured, with one later dying. However, completion of the mandated period does not mean they are now released, as some conscripts can be retained for full-time service, while families continue to wait for them to return.
In a major legislative session, the Tatmadaw has admitted for the first time that security forces are conducting raids on homes and setting up checkpoints to forcibly recruit young men into the military. Deputy Home Affairs Minister Major General Min Thu acknowledged this as reports of strict recruitment efforts increased across the country due to widespread attempts to avoid military service.
Gon Wan, a lawmaker from Hkamti Township in the northern Sagaing Region, accused local authorities of making unlawful arrests without following proper legal procedures. These operations reportedly targeted not only eligible young men but also schoolboys and students. As a result, many young people are afraid of being suddenly arrested, and some young men have been forced to stay inside their homes to avoid detention.
Major General Min Thu rejected the allegations and said that all arrests were carried out legally and only targeted people who had avoided military service after receiving conscription notices, as many eligible young men had left their hometowns to escape military service.
The minister also gave figures about the conscription situation in Hkamti Township. He said that about 5,000 residents were originally eligible by age. However, after excluding students, people with disabilities, and only sons with elderly parents, the number was reduced to around 2,000. Of these, 320 men have been recruited into the military, while 16 have officially been listed as draft evaders.
He ended the briefing by warning citizens about the serious legal consequences of violating the People’s Military Service Law, saying, “action will be taken against them if they are found during overnight guest inspections and at checkpoints.” Those found guilty of avoiding military service can face a prison sentence of three to five years. The minister also warned that people who pretend to be sick or falsely claim to have a physical disability in order to avoid military service can also receive a prison sentence of up to five years.
The strict enforcement of Myanmar’s conscription law has caused many young people to leave the country. Thailand has become one of the main destinations for those trying to escape military service. To reduce this movement, the military government took strong measures last year and stopped men and women who were eligible for military service from leaving the country.
The strict recruitment campaign has also affected daily life in major cities such as Yangon and Mandalay. Many young men now avoid going outside at night because they fear being arrested without warning. In addition, corruption among local officials and security forces has made the situation worse. In some cases, forced recruitment has turned into kidnapping for ransom. Families have reportedly been forced to pay large amounts of money to corrupt officials to prevent their children from being taken and sent to the military front lines. Officials demand 3.5–4 million Kyat for immediate release, while some ransoms reach 15 million Kyat. Some neighborhoods also pay 50,000–500,000 Kyat per month to keep young men off military recruitment lists.
It is not only Tatmadaw officials who engage in coercive recruitment, similar practices have also been reported among other armed actors. After gaining control of about 90% of Rakhine State, the Arakan Army (AA) has faced accusations of forcibly recruiting Rohingya and other ethnic minorities, including minors and pregnant women. Human rights investigations have also documented forced labor and military training involving Rohingya, Hindu, and Chakma communities. Families are pressured to provide young people under threats of detention, movement restrictions, and financial penalties, although the AA denies these allegations.
There are also reports of Rohingya girls being abducted in Buthidaung Township for recruitment, with some dying in custody. The AA has also imposed travel restrictions preventing draft-eligible men and women from leaving its territory. While AA says these restrictions protect civilians from military arrests and landmines, they are actually being used to control civilians and maintain the group’s recruitment pool.
The AA is also placing local Rohingya administrators under pressure to supply villagers for forced labor. In Nga Yant Chaung village, Buthidaung Township, an administrator appointed by the AA said he had to provide more than 1,000 men for labor, and “was beaten 20 strokes by the AA soldiers when I could not meet their quota for laborers.” A similar situation was reported among other minority communities. A Hindu boat operator said he was compelled to use his boat to transport AA personnel and supplies on a regular basis which affected his normal livelihood.
These developments show that Rohingya communities around Sittwe are facing military recruitment pressure from both sides. The Tatmadaw is requiring monthly quotas of men to support the defense of the state capital, while the AA is imposing its own recruitment and travel restrictions in surrounding areas. For a population that has been denied citizenship and largely confined to camps and township wards since 2012, refusing these demands is difficult, hence they are being used as expendable manpower.
Verification Note: The information in this report has been compiled from multiple credible sources and cross-checked for consistency. Data and reports have been used to corroborate events where possible. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, access limitations may prevent independent verification of all details.
Afiya Ibnath Ayshi is a Security and Strategic Reporting Fellow at Bangladesh Defence Journal. She covers defence, foreign affairs, and humanitarian issues, focusing on how regional and global developments influence Bangladesh’s security and diplomacy. A graduate in English from the University of Dhaka, she brings a research-based and balanced approach to her work.
