Parents Forced to Draw Lots for Military Service on Behalf of Their Children Amid Threats of Legal Action

June 27, 2025

Thanbyuzayat, Mon State

HURFOM: On 26 June, local administrators in Thanbyuzayat Township summoned nearly all neighborhood leaders and parents to the administrative office and ordered them to draw lots for mandatory military service on behalf of their children. The event reportedly began at 10:00 AM and was led by the ward administrative heads and local junta-aligned conscription teams.

Residents told HURFOM that any young person whose name is selected through the lottery and fails to report for service will be labeled as a military service defaulter. In such cases, the Junta-appointed Administrators warned that their family homes would be sealed and seized. The defaulters would be declared fugitives, stripped of their names from household lists, and prosecuted under the People’s Military Service Law.

“I was told to show up at the ward office at 10 AM. My son is living in Thailand, but I had to do a lot on his behalf. His name was picked—number 50. They said we now need to pay 100,000 MMK per month until we can contribute a total of 10 million MMK to find a replacement for him. Otherwise, we’ll face legal consequences,” said a 50-year-old Mon woman from Aung Zeya Ward.

HURFOM learned that junta conscription teams in Thanbyuzayat are systematically targeting families with sons living abroad. Parents or relatives are forced to participate in the draw, and if the selected youth is not present or unwilling to serve, families are pressured to either find and pay for a substitute or face punishments including property seizure, blacklisting, and legal charges.

Across the township, lists are being drawn up based on national household registration records, identifying males between the ages of 18 and 35. Those falling within this age group are automatically included in the lottery system, and local administrators are enforcing participation, whether the youth is present or not.

“In our ward, they are ordering between 3 to 8 people each month to draw lots. If your son’s name is drawn and he doesn’t serve, then you either pay or find a substitute. They even visit houses directly to bring parents to the office,” explained a man who recently drew lots on behalf of his son from Kyant-khai-yae Ward.

Because many families in Thanbyuzayat depend on children working abroad for financial support, the forced conscription policy has placed unbearable pressure on parents. If no one in the household can serve in place of the drafted youth, families are coerced into paying up to 10 million MMK for a substitute. Local sources confirmed that monthly contributions of 5,000 to 100,000 MMK are being collected from each household under this scheme.

“If your son’s name is drawn and he cannot come back from Thailand, they will add up the monthly payments and demand a total of at least 7 million MMK to find a replacement. The price for a substitute is currently set at around 10 million MMK in Thanbyuzayat,” said a 58-year-old Mon woman from Kyarkan Ward whose son’s name was also drawn.

Failure to comply—either by paying or providing a substitute—will result in severe consequences. The junta’s conscription committee has threatened to blacklist families, declare the drafted youth as fugitives, and ban passport renewals. In addition, household properties may be sealed, and parents or guardians may be sued under the military service law.

This forced draw-lots system is part of a wider nationwide effort by the junta to forcibly conscript youth for military service using census data. Even youth living abroad are not exempt, and their families are being targeted for compliance. HURFOM is deeply concerned about the growing pressure placed on civilians and the rising fear in local communities as the junta escalates its conscription campaign.

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under News