Myanmar Spring Chronicle – December 21 Perspective
MoeMaKa, December 22, 2024
The Revival of Conscription Law and the Public’s Struggle Under Corruption
In March 2024, the enactment of a mandatory conscription law and the corruption-filled administrative system of the military coup council combined to create a dire situation for the people of Myanmar. Amidst ongoing conflicts, citizens face the dual burden of fleeing their homes to avoid danger and ensuring their young family members evade forced conscription by paying bribes or finding other ways out.
Unlike countries where conscription is implemented to train citizens in military knowledge for national defense—such as South Korea, where individuals serve for 2-3 years—or where emergency conscription is introduced during foreign conflicts, such as the Russia-Ukraine war, Myanmar’s situation differs significantly. The country’s conscription law does not aim to bolster patriotism or prepare citizens for foreign invasions. Instead, it is a desperate move to replenish the diminished ranks of the military amid an escalating civil war.
The current conscription law was originally signed in 2010 during the final days of the Than Shwe regime. Though dormant at the time, the law was reactivated in early 2024 following years of heavy military losses after the 2021 coup. Historical records indicate the roots of this law date back to 1958 under General Ne Win’s caretaker government, which drafted frameworks for mandatory military service as part of a broader expansion of military legislation.
The enforcement of this law began without official guidelines, with the junta issuing orders to start conscription in early 2024. Over nine months, conscription campaigns have been conducted monthly, with the junta aiming to recruit 5,000 people per campaign. However, actual figures remain undisclosed.
In rural and urban areas under junta control, conscription efforts extend beyond administrative directives. Authorities block roads, stop people in public spaces, and even detain deportees returned from Thailand, forcing them into military service. Prisoners are also being recruited, offered the choice between continued incarceration and serving in the military.
These conscription campaigns are accompanied by widespread corruption and extortion. Families are pressured to pay monthly “support fees” ranging from tens of thousands of kyats to several hundred thousand kyats to avoid sending their sons into service. Communities and individuals unable to pay often face severe consequences, including arbitrary detentions and forced conscription.
For the people of Myanmar, already suffering from an economic downturn due to ongoing conflicts, these additional financial burdens exacerbate their hardships. Many families cannot afford the extortion payments, leading to forced military service or migration abroad as a last resort.
The junta’s reliance on mandatory conscription is not a novel practice in Myanmar. In some ethnic minority regions, forced recruitment—often referred to colloquially as “soldier rounding”—has existed for decades. Families without sons often paid money to avoid conscription. Conscripts faced indefinite service terms, ending only through death or escape.
As Myanmar’s civil war drags on, the future of its youth appears bleak. Many are forced into military service, while others become migrant workers in neighboring or foreign countries, seeking to escape the violence and despair of their homeland. Without a resolution to the nearly 80-year-long internal conflict, the people of Myanmar, particularly the younger generation, will continue to bear the brunt of this prolonged crisis.