The Myanmar army has moved to enlist its first batch of civilians into the military, with summons letters reportedly sent to eligible candidates in various parts of Myanmar.
The letters may not come in a standardised format, but they each carry the same message instructing recipients to register for military service, and warning that “failure to report will result in prosecution”.
This is in line with the military’s recently enacted conscription law, which has sparked a range of concerns from brain drain to increased violence amid the ongoing crisis.
Citizens aged 18 to 35, and in some cases, up to 45, are required to serve under the law.
One recipient is Kyaw, who declined to use his full name. The 31-year-old received his letter in mid-March and was summoned to his local township office.
“The moment I learnt that my name was on the list, I knew I had to migrate. If I get enlisted, I will be doomed,” he told CNA.
“Everybody knows what would happen if you are conscripted. We are given the following choices: ‘Self sacrifice or flee’. I would rather be a beggar in a foreign land,” he added.
Kyaw considered appealing to be exempted.“I asked my ward administrator about the appeals process, if I could tap on the exemption for enlistment if I am still taking care of my parents. But he said even with my appeal, it would take months to process and I will be summoned for service in the meantime,” he said.
HOW RECRUITS’ TRAINING MIGHT HAPPEN
Another eligible enlistee who turned up at his local administrative office told CNA that he was one of about 40 people who were called up. Of those who turned up – about two-third – seven were exempted, with one of them apparently diagnosed with tuberculosis.
In early February, the Myanmar army enacted a dormant enlistment law, requiring eligible candidates to serve in the military.
The army quoted the country’s Constitution, stating that every citizen has a duty to safeguard Myanmar’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. It said the first round of enlistment will start in April with about 5,000 recruits.
Women are exempted from service for now, but the move has sparked fear among those eligible. Opponents of this enlistment law claim the army plans to use civilian soldiers as human shields, a charge the army denies.
Former army captain Kaung Thu Win told CNA that the recruits are likely to be given arms as soon as they graduate from bootcamp and be sent to the frontline.
“The army will not assess a recruit’s progress thoroughly – such as the recruit’s skills or whether they are ready for war or not,” he said.
“The army’s training protocol is to instil fear in new recruits. For instance, if they’re ordered to line up, they will have to line up. They can only eat when it is time to eat. They can be dismissed only when given permission. No one would dare to go against the order because if someone disobeys it, he will be punished.”
Security experts said that conscription could spark more violence. Already, the army and its opponents have been locked in ongoing conflicts since the coup.
TURNING CIVILIANS INTO FIGHTERS
Dr Min Zaw Oo, an executive director with the Myanmar Institute for Peace and Security, said that usually, in the military, civilians transform into fighters.
“This is how military training works. We have to see how effective they could do that,” he said.
He added that on the battlefield, people care about two things – their peers around them and not getting shot.
“People fight because of the people around them. This is how the military training builds up comradeship,” he said.
Dr Min Zaw Oo said it is too early to tell if the army would be able to successfully convince conscripts to be on its side. While this law is considered Myanmar’s domestic issue, it has the potential to affect the region.
Among the potential problems is those who are desperate to flee the country finding illegal means to do so, and crossing the borders to neighbouring countries like Thailand.
Source: CNA
