Chin youths being forced to serve army

Khonumthung News: 08 December, 2006

Young people in Chin state, Burma are being arrested by the military authorities to be recruited as soldiers since November.

Soldiers from the Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) No (104) arrested four young men (Maung Kan Naing and his friends including a student from Matupi High school) while they were celebrating Tazawngtaing (Buddhist festival) at around 10 p.m. on November 6, according to source in Matupi town.

The high school student was released after Naw Kua Yi, a High School teacher in Matupi met military authorities and pleaded on his behalf. The amount of money paid as bribe to the authorities is still to be verified.

The rest of the youth were taken away in an army vehicle to Mindat town but they escaped from the clutches of the Burmese soldiers as the vehicle rolled down near Champian village, 12 miles from Matupi on November 27. The fate of the three young men is not known yet.

Moreover, 10 young men from rural areas have been arrested and detained in the recruitment camp for soldiers in Matupi.

Meanwhile, youth in Matupi are worried about going out for carol singing even though Christmas is approaching.

“Actually we have to welcome sweet December tonight but all of us are afraid of soldiers,” said a source in Matupi.

According to sources close to the army, Colonel San Aung, Tactical commander of Tactical (2) in Chin state, is planning to recruit 500 people, between the ages of 18 and 40 to serve the army.