Militarized Conscription Campaign Expands in Mon State with Threats and Financial Demands

August 5, 2025

Military-appointed local administrative force and conscription enforcement teams are conducting forced registration of local young men for military service across villages in Kyaikmayaw Township, Mawlamyine District, Mon State. Alongside this, families are being compelled to pay arbitrary fees, adding further pressure and fear among already vulnerable communities.

The forced registration campaign is being coordinated by township-level conscription teams working under the General Administration Department (GAD). All males between the ages of 18 and 35 are being listed, with households required to pay between 10,000 and 15,000 MMK, regardless of consent or willingness to serve.

“They had collected names before, but starting again from August 1, they resumed forced registration in our area,” said a 50-year-old local resident. “They went house to house and listed every man between 18 and 35 years old. Then they demanded money from each household—between 10,000 and 15,000 kyat. This has been happening for over a year now. And now, the official conscription summons letters have started arriving.”

Residents report that these operations are being carried out by a combined group of junta soldiers, police, local administrators, members of the pro-military USDP, and conscription team members. The forced registration has been especially active in junta-controlled Mon villages including Khon Wun, Khayon, Kyaikpran Lapang, and Kyun Phaninn.

Once names are collected, families receive official call-up letters summoning them to report to the township General Administration Office. Individuals must appear in person or send a family representative to complete the conscription process. The letters include explicit threats that failure to comply will result in legal action under the junta’s People’s Military Service Law.

Since the junta announced enforcement of the conscription law, it began launching one-week military training programs nationwide starting 1 April 2024. Sources close to the military say that 15 training batches have already been conducted, with plans underway to begin the 16th round.

Under this program, conscripts are subjected to four months of military training, followed by two years of compulsory service. Those with university degrees or technical expertise may be forced to serve up to three years, and in declared “emergencies,” the junta has stated that military service terms may be extended up to five years.

The forced registration, arbitrary monetary demands, and threats of imprisonment have deeply affected local communities, causing widespread fear and distress. Civilians in Mon State—especially parents of young men—are living in constant anxiety under the junta’s coercive conscription tactics.

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under News