A first batch of 5,000 conscripts called up by Myanmar’s junta will begin duty at the end of this month, military sources told AFP yesterday, as the generals struggle to crush opposition to their coup.
The junta enforced a conscription law in February, three years after it seized power and sparked a widespread armed uprising that has spread across swathes of the Southeast Asian country.
The law allows the military to summon all men aged 18-35 and women aged 18-27 to serve in the armed forces for at least two years.
“The first batch of recruits, who started in early April, will conclude training at the end of this month,” one military source said.
The source said that upon graduation the 5,000 conscripts would be posted to “different military commands around the country to serve their duty”, without giving details on how they would serve.
He requested anonymity as he was not authorised to talk to the media.
