Myanmar migrant workers repatriated from an immigration detention centre in the southern Thai town of Ranong are being forced to join the military, according to local sources.
The workers, detained in Thailand for illegal entry or other offences, are handed over to the military immediately after their return to Myanmar, the sources said.
“The first two batches of conscripts were mostly local people, but batches three to five have included many repatriated workers,” a man living in Kawthaung, located opposite Ranong in southern Tanintharyi Region, told Myanmar Now.
According to the man, Light Infantry Battalion 342 and Infantry Battalion 262, both based in Kawthaung, process the workers to determine whether they are eligible for military service. If they are, they are immediately sent away for training, he said.
In late September, the military reportedly sent around 120 repatriated migrant workers to training centres in Tanintharyi’s Palaw and Palauk townships. . .