The military council has begun recruiting former prisoners convicted of drug trafficking and murder for the Pyu Saw Htee militia, offering them a salary of MMK 180,000 per month in Pakokku Township, Magway Region, locals said.
Most of the Pyu Saw Htee members recruited by the junta were released under the military council’s amnesty after being jailed for drug trafficking, murder and theft.
An official from the People’s Defense Force – Pakokku said they would punish and eliminate Pyu Saw Htee members who did not cooperate with the people but chose to work for the military regime.
“As the township defense force, we would like to inform you that those who chose to work under the military council instead of cooperating with the people will be punished and eliminated,” the official from PDF – Pakokku told Than Lwin Times.
Locals report that the new members of Pyu Saw Htee are stealing people’s belongings, while those who have been around longer are dealing drugs and running wild in villages and wards.
The military council has taken in new members of the Pyu Saw Htee since 2022 and given them military training, as almost none have joined the regime’s recruiting unit.
In the past, Pyu Saw Htee members were close to junta soldiers, but currently they reportedly bear arms and live in public. There are about 5,000 Pyu Saw Htee members in the Magway Region, including about 300 in Pakokku, according to locals.
Sent by Than Lwin Times
