A military council unit roaming around Mandalay (File)/ Photo:CJ
Mizzima
Junta soldiers abducted at least 10 young people from restaurants in Mandalay on 25 and 26 February claiming that, they had broken Overnight Guest List registration rules, even though it was during the day.
All households must register any overnight guests on the Overnight Guest List. During the evening and night junta personnel often carry out house-to-house inspections to make sure any guests are properly registered. These inspections were previously only carried out in the evening or at night because guests who visit during the day or customers for a business, like a restaurant, do not need to be registered.
But now, junta soldiers are using Overnight Guest List inspections as an excuse to abduct young people during the day.
They inspect houses and businesses during the day claiming they are carrying out Overnight Guest List inspections and then abduct young people they find, wrongly claiming that they have violated Overnight Guest List rules.
At least eight young people were abducted by junta soldiers who carried out bogus Overnight Guest List inspections at 9:00 am on 25 February in Aung Pinlae Ward, in Mandalay City’s Chanmyathazi Township.
A resident who witnessed the junta operation said: “The inspection started at around 9:00 am in Aung Pinlae Ward. During house raids, eight youths and adults in their thirties were taken into custody.”
On the morning of 26 February, junta soldiers, some of whom were wearing civilian clothes, conducted more bogus Overnight Guest List inspections on 19th, 20th and 63rd streets in Mandalay City’s Aungmyaythazan Township and abducted two more young men at about 8:00 am.
A witness said, “The junta conducted an inspection at a restaurant on 63rd Street, near Eastern Mandalay Palace, in the morning. Upon entering the noodle shop, they forcibly abducted two young men who were dining there. I didn’t witness any physical violence being inflicted upon them.”
It appears that the junta plans to continue abducting young people under the pretext that they have violated Overnight Guest List rules.
A resident of 63rd Street said: “On the morning of 27 February the 10-household administrator was going door-to-door informing residents about upcoming Overnight Guest List inspections. There’s concern about who might face arrest.”
Following the introduction of the Conscription Law on 10 February people worry that the junta army will just arbitrarily abduct young people and force them to serve in the army as porters or human shields.
