Myanmar’s junta government has made it mandatory for adult citizens to join the military. The announcement comes at a time when the country’s military has been fighting with insurgent groups.
In February 2021, the military seized power in Myanmar, ousting the civilian government in a military coup. But over the past month, they have been losing one-on-one battles with rebel groups and anti-coup fighters.
Read more: 2 rebel fighters were burned alive in Myanmar
In this situation, on Saturday, the junta government announced that it is mandatory for the country’s young adults to join the military. According to the new announcement, all men between the ages of 18 and 35 will now have to join Myanmar’s military and serve for at least two years.
And women between the ages of 18 and 27 will also have to serve in the military for the same period. However, the Junta government has not released detailed information on this matter.
According to a statement, the Ministry of Defense of the country will publish the necessary bye-laws, procedures, orders, notifications and instructions in this regard.
Jail if you don’t follow the law
Myanmar’s military has suffered a series of humiliating defeats at the hands of insurgent groups in various regions in recent times. In late 2023, three Myanmar insurgent groups attacked and seized border crossings and key roads in Shan State.
This state is very important for Myanmar from economic point of view. Because most of the trade with China is organized by road. Last month, the insurgent group Arakan Army (AA) said it had taken control of the last hilltop military bases in Paletoa and Mywat in Myanmar’s Chin state.
Earlier, Myanmar’s junta president Myint Soe warned that the country could be divided if the war with the rebels is not brought under control. A law was introduced in Myanmar in 2010 mandating the mandatory conscription of citizens into the country’s military. But so far it has not been implemented.
The law made it mandatory for citizens to serve in the military for two years.
However, the law also states that this period of military service can be extended up to five years in case of emergency.
The law also states that if any of the citizens do not obey this law, they can serve the same term in jail. After assuming power in 2021, the junta government declared a state of emergency in Myanmar. The state of emergency was recently extended for another six months.
Myanmar was under a repressive military regime for nearly 50 years before transitioning to democracy in 2011. A democratic government then took over the country.
But in February 2021, the country’s military retook power in a military coup. Since then, Myanmar has been plagued by war and violence. Thousands of citizens of the country lost their lives and more than 1 million people were displaced.
What is happening in Myanmar?
Myanmar’s military has been in conflict with rebel groups for more than seven decades since independence. However, the country’s junta or military rulers are struggling to deal with the crisis in recent times.
Thousands of soldiers have surrendered their weapons to rebel forces since the offensive began in October. It has been reported that the rebels have taken control of many cities and areas held by Myanmar’s military junta.
According to a group of experts known as the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar, which works to promote Myanmar’s democracy, the country’s junta government has “full control” of only 17 percent of the territory. Another 23 percent of the territory is in conflict and rebel groups hold 52 percent of the territory.
The military lost control of 33 towns in various provinces by mid-January, according to reports published in Irrawaddy, a Myanmar media outlet based in Thailand. Notable among these are the provinces of Chin, Sakai, Kiang, and the northern states of Shan and Xin.
It has been reported that the Arakan Army has taken over the Rakhine state of Myanmar, which borders Bangladesh. At the end of January, the war-situation in Rakhine and Arakan states bordering Bangladesh also took a dire shape.
The conflict between the two sides became so intense that from February 4 this year, the border guards of Myanmar began to enter Bangladesh fleeing the BGP. Earlier, hundreds of soldiers fled across the border into China and India. Thousands of soldiers surrendered without fighting.
The junta government has lost around 30,000 troops since the coup until January. Whereas the number of soldiers in Myanmar’s military is only one and a half million. The military is facing daily defeats and is failing to regain control of the territory it has captured. In such a situation, the military is rapidly losing its ability to control the people. In this situation, it is very difficult for the Myanmar government to recruit new members.
Is the army on the verge of defeat?
Three years after Myanmar’s junta came to power in a military coup, it is believed to be at its worst.
Analysts say that since the military government seized power in February 2021, the tension has continued, but the army has not faced such a difficult situation before.
Military patrol posts, arsenals and several towns have been seized by the rebels since the ethnic rebel groups launched an offensive last October. Many members of Myanmar’s border guard force have taken refuge in Bangladesh in the face of insurgent attacks on the last sleepy border, many of whom were injured.
It is known that not only Bangladesh, but two other neighboring countries, China and India, Myanmar soldiers have taken shelter before. Such victories have encouraged other rebel groups to attack the military.
The Myanmar National Defense Alliance-MNDAA, Arakan Army and Tang National Liberation Army are collectively known as the Three Brotherhood Alliance. They drove the military out of northern Shan State in January.
It was assumed that a counter-attack would be launched. But that hasn’t happened yet. Several generals in the state have surrendered and a fragile ceasefire is in place.
Regional observers say this is not only a defeat for the military, but also a sign that the military is running out of popularity.
Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a teacher at Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University, told the AP news agency that Myanmar’s civil war has made it impossible for the country’s junta to win, and defeat is only a matter of time.
He said, even if you look at the numbers, it is understandable. They are losing troops every day, but no new troops are being recruited, no reinforcements are being given, no logistics are being resupplied, no troops are willing to patrol anymore and they are constantly under attack.
Read more: The Arakan Army captured two more bases of the junta
They have become dependent on airstrikes to survive the war. However, analysts say, it cannot be said about the defeat of the army. Because the military forces are quickly turning around in other places even though they are facing problems in Shan State.
TTN
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