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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 #2 – Ko Kyaw Swar Win (Irrawaddy Division)

I’m from Pa Khoe Ku Town. I worked in an oil field in Myine Township. I was collected as a conscript with batch #5 by the ballot system. The village Administrator and my parents phoned me. I didn’t know why I was collected. They said I must return. I replied I hadn’t finished my work and I couldn’t come back. I remained at my workplace for 15 days. The Administrator phoned again and forced me to come back. He threatened that if I didn’t come back, they would arrest my parents. I explained the situation to my employer and returned to my village.

I stayed in my village for nine days. Then, I received a summons letter for conscripts from Ye Kyi Township. I was sent to the conscript collection camp with the 907^th Light Infantry Battalion. I was detained at the camp for 28 days and then sent for military training with the 6^th Light Infantry Battalion.

I had to join the military training for three months – from September 9^th to November 29^th, 2024. After finishing each day’s training exercises, we had to do “night study” from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm. Only then did we return to the barracks where they locked us inside.

I wasn’t allowed to have contact with my family during the military training. They seized all of our mobile phones at the beginning of the training. They do not allow any use of mobile phones. They forcefully blocked us from having any connections with family members.

I was to be paid 204,000 MMK for the military training. They said after we finished the training and started our duty with a battalion, we would be paid another 370,000 MMK. That never happened, and it appeared that we would only receive 204,000 MMK. But then things changed again, and they reduced our salary.  In the end we only received 100,000 MMK. It’s just equivalent to the transportation fee. They said they cut our salary not because we breached the law. They used our money to buy uniforms and military equipment. Personal items, blades or swords, shovels and grass cutters were bought with our money. We also had to buy gasoline for use at night.

During the training, they delivered propaganda to us, saying for example, that other armed organizations had never defeated the military and we were not recruited to fight a battle. We would serve as security guards with the battalions.

After the training, 80 out of 252 conscripts from our batch were sent to the military interrogation camp in Yangon by six trucks. We spent two nights there before being sent to Mawlamyine by ship. We had to stay with the 208^th Light Infantry Battalion in Kyikemayaw for two months. The battalion had no soldiers as all of them were sent to the front lines in the Japanese Mount in Ye Ta Gon village, Thanbyuzayat Township.

At first, I wanted to run away alone, but later, I talked with friends and urged them to leave the army. I told them we didn’t protect our people but just sacrificed our lives for the power and profit of the army. It wasn’t worth sacrificing our lives. Then, six other friends agreed with me and one had a connection with the Daw Na Column, an armed revolutionary force. Then, we ran away.

During the training, the Major warned us not to run away and join the PDF. He said the PDF could treat us well for just two or three days and then, they would kill us after getting information from us. He spread fear amongst us.

But we already knew the real situation. We didn’t trust anything they said. The revolutionary side welcomed us warmly from the first day of arrival and they treated us with brotherhood. I feel I’m free. Everything is okay now since we met with them. We have had contact with our families. We are still worried that the junta will threaten our family members.

Finally, to all conscripts, majors and soldiers, if you want to defeat the military dictatorship, just come and cooperate with us. Please don’t kill people to strengthen the power and personal interest of the army. I urge all conscripts to join us.

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