Residents of Mong Yai Township in northern Shan State say the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) is forcibly recruiting villagers into military service using household registration records collected during previous administrative campaigns.

On May 23, MNDAA officials summoned village administrators from the Ho Ya, Loi Nguen, Kawng Mawng, and Nawng Mo village tracts to a meeting in Loi Nguen village. During the meeting, each village was reportedly ordered to provide one recruit within 10 days, according to local residents.

Village administrators later appealed to MNDAA officials to rescind the order, but their request was rejected during a follow-up meeting on June 3.

“The MNDAA is recruiting people based on the names listed in the household registration records they collected last year,” a local resident familiar with the situation told SHAN. “Because of the new recruitment order, both village administrators and the people whose names appear on the lists are fleeing. In some villages, elders have been beaten for failing to attend meetings, and village heads have been arrested for failing to provide recruits.”

The recruitment campaign reportedly affects more than 20 villages across the four village tracts. Residents say many families have fled their homes after specific individuals were identified for recruitment.

According to local sources, those selected are expected to be sent to Hopang and Kunlong townships for military training.

“They told us the recruits would be taken to Hopang and Kunlong,” the resident said. “Even after reports of forced recruitment emerged, MNDAA leaders showed no concern. They are not listening to local people. Even women are not being spared. They are taking whoever they want.”

Residents say concerns over forced recruitment have grown since the MNDAA began collecting household registration information and issuing local identification cards in villages under its control.

Beginning in September 2025, the group reportedly collected household data and issued local identification cards in at least 16 villages in Mong Yai Township. Residents who failed to register were reportedly warned that they would be classified as outsiders.

Affected villages include Nam Tung, Kawng Mawng, Nar Hawt, Lat Sant, Wan Long, Man Awai, Pang Nyaung, Pang Koe, Nawng Mo, Nam Lai, Ho Lawng, and Nar Mun, among others.

Many residents now believe the registration records, which were initially presented as administrative documents, are being used to identify individuals for military service.

Locals also say that other Shan armed groups operating in the area have not intervened or provided protection to affected communities.

Several armed groups, including the MNDAA, the United Wa State Army (UWSA), and the Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA), maintain a presence in Mong Yai Township.