In an effort to keep armed rebel groups fighting for more autonomy in different parts of the nation under control, the junta in Myanmar announced on Saturday that all young men and women must serve in the armed forces.
The mandatory service period is two years for both men and women (18–27 years for women) and three years for specialists (i.e., doctors up to 45 years old). According to state media, the current state of emergency allows for a five-year total extension of the program.
Since the military overthrew an elected government in a coup in 2021, Myanmar has been engulfed in anarchy.
The junta’s opponents, three ethnic minority rebel groups, and allied pro-democracy fighters have launched a concerted onslaught against the Tatmadaw, as the military is known, resulting in casualties.
Having taken over the former British territory in 1962, this is the largest challenge the military has faced.
Rumor has it that the Tatmadaw is having trouble finding new recruits and has started deploying non-combatants to the front lines.
Everyone in the country has a responsibility to protect and defend it, not just the armed forces. So I want to proudly tell everyone to abide by this people’s military duty law,” junta spokesperson Zaw Min Tun stated to state media.
Although a mandatory conscription bill was proposed in 2010, it has not yet been put into effect. According to the law, anyone who disobey the draft could spend up to five years behind bars.
