If no inhabitants of Ward 3 volunteer to be conscripted the authorities said they would find others to join the army in their stead but, in that case, all Ward 3 residents would have to pay a fee for this to be done.
In October, junta-appointed ward administrators distributed pamphlets to households in Ward 3 where men between the ages of 18 and 35 live, instructing them to attend a conscription meeting on 27 October. It was at that meeting they were informed that Ward 3 had to supply two conscripts to join the army.
These conscriptions are part of the sixth batch of conscriptions since the conscription law was activated on 10 February 2024. People were conscripted from across the country in the first five waves of conscription.
A Hpa-An resident who did not want to be named said: “The notices were sent to every household with men aged 18 to 35, including students. At the meeting, authorities informed residents that Ward 3 must provide two individuals for conscription, but no one wanted to go.
They said that if locals refused conscription, they would find people to replace them, and the locals would need to pay for this. Authorities also assured residents that if replacements were secured, they would not come to homes for forced recruitment.”
A woman who attended the meeting said: “Junta officials said they plan to recruit two conscripts from Ward 3. If we locals do not wish to be conscripted, we need to pay to hire replacements.
They asked if we could afford the cost, but it’s unclear how much money will be collected. For example, if 1 million MMK is required for two replacements, all households subject to conscription would contribute equally.”
In recent months ward administrators in downtown Hpa-An have allegedly been compiling a list of young people eligible for military service, according to reports.
Many young people in Myanmar have fled en masse to areas controlled by ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) and to Thailand to avoid conscription. There are many young people from Karen State amongst those who have sought refuge in Thailand.
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