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Voice of Conscripts

HURFOM: In order to realize the impacts of the forceful and unlawful conscription law in Burma HURFOM has interviewed three individuals who fled the junta’s army and sought shelter with the armed revolutionary forces.

Interview #1 – Ko Chan Mon (Mon State)

I was born in Thailand and l have never been to Burma. It was in March, 2024. I returned to my native place (of my parents), Lamine Town, Ye Township, Mon State. I came back via the Kaw Thaung route when junta’s soldiers arrested me because I had no Burmese ID card. They detained me for seven days. After a month, they applied for the ID card for me. At that time, everything seemed okay. But after getting the ID card, I was sent to the conscript collection camp in Myeik. That is when I realized I was being forced into military service as a conscript.

I was part of batch #5 of the conscripts receiving military training from September to November, 2024 in Dawei. Every day was disappointing during those three months. Because I had no intention to join the military and it had never been in my thought to do so. I wanted to run away on the first day of the training. My parents are in Thailand and I had to talk with them in the presence of the military officials. I wasn’t allowed to have conversations with them very often. Most of the conscripts were arbitrarily arrested or collected by the ballot system. None of us joined the military with our consent.

They said I would receive a salary of more than 200,000 MMK but I received only 104,000 MMK. They also said we would serve as security guards and not be sent to front lines after the training. We were first sent to the Mawlamyine military training school. Then, we were sent to the 208^th Light Infantry Battalion in Kyike Kha Mi, Thanbyuzayat Township. Then, we were sent to the front lines in Ye Ta Gon village, Thanbyuzayat Township.

It was there that one of my friends from conscript training said he had connections with the Daw Na military column, a revolutionary armed force. We were able to establish a connection by phone and they told us to wait in a place. Then, they came to pick us up. After reaching the Daw Na Column, I felt I was totally free.

In conclusion, I want to advise young men that if you have to join the military training, please make contact with the revolutionary forces and find shelter with them. Don’t waste your life for the military. It isn’t worth sacrificing our lives for the military.

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