Conscription in Myanmar: Is the Military Junta Losing Control?

Conscription in Myanmar: Is the Military Junta Losing Control? By Sandeep Singh SYNOPSIS The recent activation of an existing conscription law in Myanmar by the ruling military junta seeks to draft young people into serving in the military in a situation of worsening civil conflict in the country. [...] The move comes in the wake of growing military repression in Myanmar as the junta’s forces suffered battlefield defeats in various parts of the country. [...] The junta’s activation of the conscription law through the State Administration Council (SAC) was a significant heightening of the attempt to control the volatile situation on the ground. [...] This reliance on the force of the law is in stark contrast to the voluntary and enthusiastic participation of young recruits in the “People’s Defence Force” of the opposition National Unity Government – the Myanmar government in exile – and its allies. [...] The enforcement of the conscription law on unwilling conscripts amid the military successes of the resistance forces could be an indication that the military junta is losing control.