In Ye Township, Mon State, at least 10 local men were arrested by the junta during the third week of January, according to local news sources from Ye. None of those detained have been released so far, and their families have been unable to contact them.
On January 18, following clashes between a military column and resistance forces near Kanin Kamawt Village, six local men were arrested and taken away by the junta troops, sources said.
Similarly, on January 23, six more young men were arrested in Ye town after being accused of riding two men on one motorcycle, according to a local resident.
Those currently detained include residents from Kanin Kamawt, Sone Se Myine, Kwankyaik, Abaw, and Dura villages. Reports indicate that they were transferred to a battalion based in Ye Township; however, the exact battalion remains unknown, and communication with the detainees has been completely cut off.
“All of those arrested recently are men. One of them is a monastery trustee in his 50s or 60s. Those arrested in Ye town are all young people. We still cannot contact them. When we ask the military, they say the detainees are at one battalion or another, but when we go to check, they are not there,” a local resident said.
Among those arrested is a monastery trustee. It is also reported that military troops seized around 10 million kyats in donated funds that had been entrusted to him by the village abbot.
Military Council columns, numbering in the hundreds, have been stationed since the second week of January in northern Ye villages, including Aung Thapyay, Aung Tharyar, Nhit Kayin Lan Wa, Kanin Kamawt, and Kwankyaik.
Local residents reported that along the routes of these military operations, troops have been arresting civilians, confiscating valuable belongings, and seizing and inspecting mobile phones.
A resident from northern Ye Township with close ties to the junta said that drones have been dropping bombs on villages where resistance forces are active. As a result, farm owners and local residents have been warned not to stay or move around their farms.
“The military is constantly firing drones—almost every day. At night, they also fire small arms. They keep dropping bombs and warning people not to stay on their farms. Even if farmers go to their farms, they have to keep fleeing. There are inspections, and belongings are taken. That’s why people are afraid and have not been going to their farms much lately,” a local man said.
As of now, military columns continue to conduct patrols and operations in villages across northern Ye Township. The security situation remains tense, and arrests are still ongoing.
Authorities in Ye Township continue to ban riding two men on a motorcycle, public gatherings, and speeding. Arrests have reportedly increased during the election period.
