In some areas of Ye Township and nearby villages in Mon State, the military junta is reportedly forcing village administrators to gather people for public security training.
According to sources close to the village administration, this training, which started on September 16, is being conducted at the headquarters of the No. 19 Military Operations Command in Ye. The training is expected to last two weeks.
Men aged between 35 and 65 from neighborhoods in Ye, as well as from villages such as Asin, Abaw, Chaungwa, and Hangan, have been attending the training.
A source close to the village administration in Ye stated, “This week, the military junta pressured village administrators to gather trainees. If they couldn’t find enough people, they were threatened with having to go to the military camp themselves. That’s why the village leaders are rounding up people on their behalf.”
While the exact number of people attending the public security training is unclear, it is said that at least five men from each village are participating. The junta is reportedly providing each trainee with 8,500 kyats per day.
Once the training is completed, these individuals will be recruited as needed to ensure the security of their respective villages, according to statements made by the junta.
There is speculation that the military junta may use the trainees for election-related security.
A source close to the village administration added, “According to their meeting records, once this two-week training is over, they don’t plan to call for more people. The trainees will return home, but they will have to come back whenever the junta needs them. The public security personnel could be used during the upcoming elections.”
Currently, the junta is also conducting arbitrary arrests of civilians in Ye Township, and there are concerns that those arrested may be forced into military service or used for public security purposes, as many of the detainees have disappeared without any further information.
The military junta formed a central public security and counter-terrorism committee on August 16 and has since pressured local authorities to establish public security teams at the township, neighborhood, and village levels.
Meanwhile, groups such as the New Mon State Party (NMSP-AD), the Mon State Federal Council’s Department of Defense (MSFC-DoD), the Mon State Revolutionary Forces (MSRF), and the Mon State Defense Force (MSDF) have issued warnings to the public, urging them not to join the junta’s public security teams, with a promise of action against those who cooperate.
