The first batch of 5,000 conscripts called up by Myanmar’s junta will begin their military duty at the end of this month, AFP reported on Monday.
The conscription law, enforced by the junta in February, allows the military to summon all men aged 18-35 and women aged 18-27 to serve for at least two years, following the 2021 coup that triggered a widespread armed uprising.
According to AFP thousands of young men and women have been trying to leave the country since the conscription law was enforced, with reports of individuals being forcibly taken from the streets to undergo military training.
However, the junta has denied the reports. The conscription law, initially authored by a previous junta in 2010 but never enacted, allows for service terms to be extended up to five years during a state of emergency, with penalties for non-compliance including jail time.