The military junta has compelled Muslim youths in Rakhine State to join the military service and the soldiers are providing arms training to them along with weapons.

The video clippings showing the process of providing military training and distributing weapons to them are now circulating on social media.

The residents informed Narinjara News that the junta was arming Muslims and deploying them on the Rakhine frontline.

“The junta denies that the Muslims are being enlisted to join the military service through their media outlets including newspapers and television channels. But contrary to their claims, Muslim youths are being recruited in the military. A number of video clippings prove that the Muslim youths are undergoing training and also receiving weapons. Many of them are deployed in frontline areas,” said a local resident.

Currently, Muslim youths from Sittwe, Buthidaung and Kyauk Ta Lone Muslim IDP camp in Kyaukphyu are being conscripted for the service. The number of individuals involved in the process may reach up to thousands.

“Thus the military junta is preparing to defend their bases from the Arakan Army (AA) fighters. The soldiers will use those Muslim youths as the human shields,” added the resident.

A Rakhine political analyst commented that because of the junta’s tricks there emerge tensions between the Rakhine civilians and Muslims and hence everyone needs to be careful.

“It should be noted that the junta is deliberately escalating the enmities between the two communities in Rakhine State,” added the political analyst.

The junta after losing many battles is resorting to various conspiracies against the Rakhine people. They may want to escalate the existing conflicts and troubles. Hence various religious and ethnic entities have been opposing the junta’s actions,” the analyst continued.

The junta is compelling the Muslims in Sittwe to pay Kyats 500,000 if they refuse to join the military service.

“Those who declined to join the military service faced the order to pay Kyats 200,000. Now the amount has been increased to Kyats 500,000. As they cannot afford to pay the amount, many of them have joined the service,” said a young man with close ties with the Muslims, adding that thousands of Muslim youths are now being forced to join the military service.