Forced Conscription and Substitute Fees Deepen Fear in Thanbyuzayat, Mon State

July 21, 2025

HURFOM: In Thanbyuzayat town, Mon State, families are being pressured to pay exorbitant fees—up to 10 million kyat (approximately 10,000,000 MMK) —to hire substitutes and avoid conscription into the junta’s upcoming military training program, known as Batch 15 of the People’s Military Service.

According to local residents, junta authorities, including ward and village administrators, are actively collecting both new recruits and conscription-related fees. A resident from Thanbyuzayat reported that her family was asked to pay 10 million kyat so that a substitute could be hired in place of her son, who is currently working in Thailand.

“On July 18, the local administrators came to our house along with soldiers. They said my son’s name had come up in the lottery for military training. Since he’s abroad, they insisted we pay 10 million kyat to hire a replacement. I had no choice but to pay,” said a 48-year-old mother, her voice filled with anxiety.

Following the enactment of the Conscription Law, junta forces have intensified recruitment across Mawlamyine, Paung, Mudon, Thanbyuzayat, Kyaikmayaw, Ye, and Kyaikhto. Reports from the ground reveal that young people are being arrested on the streets and even at night under the pretext of “security checks.” Many are forcibly taken to military training camps.

Residents say that even those who do not voluntarily show up are not spared. If someone eligible for service refuses to draw lots, the junta’s recruitment team does it in their place and later arrives with a call-up letter. The only alternative left for many families is to pay massive sums to avoid losing their children to forced military service.

As fear spreads, many young people have fled across the Thai border or sought refuge in safer areas. However, some have still been caught and forced into training. Meanwhile, local administrators continue to demand monthly fees under the guise of “replacement recruitment” and are targeting youth who fail to comply with their orders.

A local activist reflected on the growing desperation: “It’s not just a conscription policy, it’s a system of fear and extortion. Families are being torn apart, and young people live with constant uncertainty.”

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under News