Understand
Young men live in fear of being snatched and sold to Myanmar's army
Overview
Amid a civil war and mandatory conscription laws, Myanmar's military junta is enforcing strict recruitment quotas that have led to widespread abductions, extortion, and human trafficking. Security forces, local administrators, and criminal gangs are arbitrarily detaining young people and selling them to military units to fill quotas or allowing wealthier citizens to buy their way out of service, disproportionately impacting poorer families.
Key points
- Myanmar's military junta enacted a mandatory conscription law following a string of losses and high desertion rates in its civil war.
- Authorities and local administrators have been aggressively fulfilling recruitment quotas through arbitrary arrests, coercion, and abductions.
- An illicit market has emerged where young men are sold to military units for cash, or used as substitutes for wealthier individuals avoiding the draft.
- Rights groups and researchers note that missing person notices have risen significantly since the enactment of the conscription law.
- The constant threat of forced recruitment has caused severe labour shortages, increased internal displacement, and forced many young people to flee the country.