Residents of Taunggyi, southern Shan State, say regime troops are lying in wait in secluded areas of the city to forcibly seize civilians, including women, for portering and military service, heightening fear among local communities.

In the final week of February, soldiers reportedly stationed along the road to Shwe Phone Pwint Pagoda, located on a hillside above Taunggyi, detained at least five youths, including women, according to a resident who spoke to SHAN.

“My friends and I were heading to Shwe Phone Pwint in the evening when we saw a group of soldiers. I heard them shouting at the people ahead of us, asking where they were going and telling them to stop. We turned back immediately. About five people have already been taken as porters. Don’t think they won’t take you just because you’re a girl; they take everyone. I haven’t dared to go anywhere since that day,” said a Taunggyi resident who witnessed the incident.

Residents say the military has increasingly positioned troops in quiet or isolated areas where civilians are vulnerable to sudden detention.

Separate reports also indicate that soldiers are hiding in secluded areas of Taunggyi at night to apprehend individuals and force them to serve as substitutes for military recruits.

“The situation lately is not good at all; it’s not safe to stay out for long. An acquaintance of mine was caught on a neighborhood street while returning from work. His family tried to follow up by paying bribes, but they were told he had already been passed along step-by-step to serve in the military. There has been no contact with him since,” a local man from Taunggyi told SHAN.

As fear spreads, residents say families are advising young people to avoid going out at night and to return home immediately after work.

Locals also report that since the second week of February, the regime’s administrative departments and joint security forces have been conducting surprise inspections of overnight guest registrations at private boarding houses for male students across Taunggyi neighborhoods. These checks have reportedly resulted in multiple arrests.

In addition, residents describe an increase in what they call “random portering,” where civilians are detained on the streets at night and forced into labor or military-related duties.

The incidents come amid the enforcement of the People’s Military Service Law, activated by the military authorities in 2024. Under the law, authorities have been targeting men aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 to 27 for military training and service.

Residents warn that the combination of forced recruitment, night patrols, and sudden inspections has created an atmosphere of deep insecurity across Taunggyi, with many people afraid to leave their homes after dark.