Since the enactment of a draft law by the junta early last month, at least 17 local officials involved in conscription efforts have been killed, as reported by rebel officials and residents.
The number of killings has significantly increased in the past week leading up to the official start of conscription in April. RFA previously reported six such killings on March 23.
The junta introduced the “People’s Military Service Law” on Feb. 10 to bolster its military ranks following ongoing losses and surrenders to insurgents in Myanmar’s civil war.
Since the announcement, many youths in various cities have chosen to flee abroad or to rebel-held areas to avoid the draft, expressing their refusal to fight for the military that seized power in a coup in February 2021.
Reports have indicated forced recruitment, compiling lists of eligible individuals, and conducting draft lotteries to select recruits.
Rebel forces are resisting against those enforcing the junta’s orders, with numerous village- and township-level officials and related personnel being assassinated in various regions, as sources informed RFA Burmese.
One administrative officer in Yangon region mentioned that resistance to recruitment had not been observed in his ward, and suggested that only corrupt officials who took bribes to manipulate the selection process were targeted for violence.
List of victims continues to grow
The first official killing in relation to military recruitment occurred on Feb. 20, followed by several more incidents where administrators were targeted for pressuring residents to join military service.
Rebels issued warnings against harming the people and forcibly conscripting youths, threatening actions against those who do not comply with their instructions.
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Local administrators openly soliciting money from people to avoid military service have been reported in some regions.
The junta’s plan is to enlist draft-eligible citizens in batches of 5,000 monthly starting in April, with the implementation of the military service law already underway in 172 townships across the country.
Translated by Aung Naing and Kalyar Lwin. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.