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Military officers march during a parade marking the 78th Myanmar Armed Forces Day in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, March 27, 2023
Photo: Aung Shine Oo / AP
The military junta in Myanmar, which seized power in the country three years ago, has introduced a law requiring at least two years of military service. With the decree published on Saturday, all men between the ages of 18 and 35 and all women between the ages of 18 and 27 can be drafted. The law should apply immediately.
The military government cited a corresponding law passed in 2010, which has not yet been put into effect. The regulation should now apply “from February 10, 2024” – that is, from now on. According to the 2010 law, in the event of a state of emergency, mandatory military service can be extended up to five years. Anyone who refuses to do so must expect up to five years in prison.
On February 1, 2021, the military overthrew the government of Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, which had been elected with a large majority the year before, and declared a state of emergency. The junta that has ruled since then has taken tough action against opposition members; according to activists, more than 21,000 people have already been arrested. The military has promised new elections, but has repeatedly extended the state of emergency in the country, most recently for another six months at the end of January.
jpa/AFP