On February 10th, 2024, a distressing notification was issued by the Ministry of Information under Myanmar’s State Administration Council (SAC). The announcement pertained to the People’s Military Service Law, a compulsory military service statute originally passed in 2010 but that had remained inactive till this date. The announcement has started a ripple of fear through the citizenry.
The age range designated for conscription by the law i.e., 18 to 35 years for men and 18 to 27 years for women, has been a subject of grave concern, particularly among parents and the women who fall into this category. This sudden development piggybacks the ongoing political instability and civil unrest since the military coup d’état on February 1, 2021, which many believe is the junta’s strategy to augment their forces.
Several young female potential conscripts expressed their torment over this development. A 26-year-old woman reported that she’s been plagued with sleeplessness since the announcement and constantly fears for her safety, fearing the possibility of forced conscription. Similarly, a 25-year-old final year law student described her unease, over the abrupt halt to her education due to the coup, and her fear of being conscripted.
These anecdotes accurately mirror the deep-seated fears and concerns faced by Myanmar’s young women in the wake of the SAC’s disturbing notification regarding the activation of the military service law. The current political climate in Myanmar under the military coup further exacerbates these fears, suspecting the ulterior and self-serving motives of the junta towards the implementation of this law amidst the continuing unrest in the country.