Forced Conscription Drive Takes Toll on Local Communities

August 19, 2024

In response to record losses of Burma Army soldiers by the opposition forces and defections of soldiers and commanders, as well as economic turmoil and rising poverty as a result of nationwide conflict, it was declared that the 2010 People’s Military Service Law, mandating conscription, would be enforced for the first time since it was passed.

Since this announcement, young men and women have fled to neighboring countries for their safety. However, countries like Thailand have enforced stricter screening mechanisms for Burmese citizens entering. For those remaining inside Burma, the junta has taken additional steps to prevent young people from leaving by denying individuals between the ages of 23 and 35 the opportunity to depart from Yangon by air. This action follows a similar enforcement in May when the military junta temporarily banned all men from working abroad.

In target areas of the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM), including Mon State, Karen State and the Tanintharyi region, young men are being targeted by the junta and forced to join the military. Since the first week of August, the junta has initiated door-to-door checks, arresting those who appear on military service lists.

“They’re rounding up people, saying they’ve been selected for military service. In our neighbourhood, there were about four people. But when they came to take them, no one was left—everyone had already fled,” said a resident of Kyaik Hto.

The junta is currently targeting young people from six neighborhoods in Kyaik Hto town and nearby villages using prepared name lists. Consequently, many local youths are fleeing to KNU (Karen National Union) territory in Thaton District or Thailand, and some have even resorted to escaping by sea, according to reports from HURFOM.

“There are no more young people left in the neighbourhoods. Some have joined the KNU, some have fled to Thailand, and some have gone abroad and haven’t returned,” shared another Kyaik Hto resident.

In a disturbing contrast, it has been reported that the military junta is demanding bribes of 4 to 6 million Myanmar Kyats (1200-1800 USD) per person from those who can afford it, allowing them to substitute someone else in their place for military service.

According to independent research organizations, including the New Rehmonnya Federated Force (NRFF), nearly 1,000 people in Mon State have been conscripted in military drafts from Batch 1 to 4. These developments highlight the ongoing struggles faced by the youth in Kyaik Hto Township as they seek to avoid forced conscription under the military regime.

In May 2024, HURFOM released a short report titled ‘Forced to Fight,’ which provided an overview of how the enforcement of the Conscription Law has affected communities in Southeastern Burma in Mon State, Karen State and the Tanintharyi region between February and April 2024.

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under Analysis, News