Myanmar Spring Chronicle – February 24 Scene
MoeMaKa, February 25, 2025
Young People Being Illegally Drafted into the Military under the Conscription Law
As the implementation of the conscription law reaches its first anniversary, military recruitment has increased to as many as 10 batches per week. According to the junta’s statements, it can be estimated that approximately 50,000 people have already been drafted. However, no one knows for certain whether exactly 5,000 people are recruited per week or if the number is even higher.
Over the past year, junta forces have been engaged in numerous simultaneous battles, leading to newly conscripted youth being deployed directly to frontlines such as Rakhine, Karen, Karenni/Kayah State, Mandalay Region and the northern Shan State border, and Kachin State. Due to unprecedented losses, desertions, and surrenders among junta troops, they are relying on inexperienced conscripts to fill the gaps and continue their offensives.
After one year of enforcement, many regions under junta control are experiencing the pressure of the conscription law, with families and communities personally affected by forced recruitment. In areas like Ayeyarwady, Yangon, Bago, Mandalay, Mon, and Tanintharyi, forced conscription has intensified, accompanied by widespread corruption, extortion, and bribery. The recruitment process has extended beyond a lottery system to random abductions on the streets, with both uniformed and plainclothes officers forcibly taking young people. This has caused many youths to fear going outside at night.
Caught between economic hardship and the risk of forced conscription, many young people are seeking ways to flee the country—both legally and illegally. Those unable to afford to leave are left with no choice but to stay and hide. As a result, cases of residents fighting back against local authorities and armed forces tasked with recruitment have emerged.
Recent incidents include:
- In Dawbon Township, Yangon, a recruitment officer was set on fire with gasoline.
- In another city, a conscript who escaped and returned home fatally stabbed a police officer who came to re-arrest him.
- In Amar Sub-Township, Pyapon District, a conscript killed a soldier during a heated argument over conscription and then fled with the soldier’s gun.
These events reflect growing public resistance against forced conscription.
The severe consequences of the junta’s conscription policy are becoming increasingly evident. Rising casualties and injuries among newly drafted soldiers have led to heightened fear and anxiety among the public. Initially, bribery was rampant within the recruitment system, but within a year, abductions for ransom have become more widespread. Those unable to leave the country are left to either hide or face recruitment.
While some families relocate to avoid conscription, others attempt to obtain legal visas to move abroad. However, the majority remain trapped by financial constraints and obligations to support their families.
The National Unity Government (NUG) has yet to provide a viable solution to assist those at risk. Encouraging all conscripts to join the People’s Defense Forces (PDF) is not a universally practical solution, as armed resistance should be a personal choice. One alternative is for those drafted to flee and join anti-junta forces once deployed to the frontlines. Although some have successfully escaped, the extent of their opportunities and risks remains uncertain.
Currently, young people eligible for conscription lack sufficient guidance or practical support. In peacetime, mandatory military service might have been reluctantly accepted, but under the current circumstances—where the likelihood of death or disgrace is alarmingly high—many are desperately seeking ways to avoid it.
For the junta, the enforcement of conscription law may seem like a necessary step to replenish its dwindling forces, but it also fuels public outrage. In the near future, this growing resentment may come at a heavy cost for the regime.