Learn more about this subject in Burma
Several accounts of new recruits fleeing military training sites in the regions of the Central Magway and Bago show that the general conscription order of the Junta continues to be extremely unpopular among young people in Myanmar, several at Radio Free Asia said.
In April, the junta began to implement A law on conscription As a means of strengthening its ranks in decline in the midst of increasing losses against rebel groups.
Under the compulsory military service law, men aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 to 27 must serve a minimum of two years in the army. Young people looked for ways to leave the country From.
Many new recruits have been sent for training after being held under the threat of a weapon by the Junta. Recruits are faced with torture or execution if they are surprised escaping.
In total, 11 new recruits in the Magway region have occurred from their training in recent weeks, according to the escape and those who have helped them.
A young man from the canton of Yenangyang de Magway told RFA that he had been arrested under the threat of a weapon by Junta soldiers after leaving his house on the morning of July 9. About 30 people were also detained in the canton for military recruitment on the same day, he said, asking anonymity for security purposes.
He said he was finally sent to the Military Training School No. 7 in the city of Taungdwingyi, where he finally had the chance to escape at the end of August.
“One day it was raining a lot, we had the opportunity to run away as soon as we found a little outing that evening,” he said.
“Training photos have become viral”
Another escapee said that the recruits were not fed properly during the training course and that the military officers said that China supported the defense of the anti-Junta people or the PDF.
“The PDF receives China's bribes for killing, they said. So the PDFs are such an anarchy. In fact, the junta persuaded new recruits to hate PDF,” said the escapee.
In the neighboring region of Bago, a young man who recently fled military training told RFA that living under the junta had become unbearable.
“We have made the decision with our own meaning if they are good or bad, which are good or bad,” he said. “We cannot die for them. So we made the decision to run away. ”
RFA could not contact the Minister of Social Affairs Myo Myint, the spokesperson for the Junta for the Magway region, to comment on recent escapes.
A young man from the Bago paungte canton said that he had fled military service after being sent to Shan state following a short and insufficient training period. There were some 600 young people from the Bago region in its training cohort, he said.
“We have been given a single day of training on how to set up the MA-1 pistol,” he said. “We could only draw five shots in training.”
The media supported by Junta frequently publish photos of new recruits and documentary videos from training courses.
“Our training photos have become viral online,” said the young man.
Sent to fronts
No one in the Bago region has deserted military training, according to Tin Oo, the Junta Minister of Economic Affairs and spokesperson for the region.
“Some people divide the government (junta regime) and the public by disseminating rumors that young people are recruited by force,” he told RFA.
“There were also news that recruits have fled training,” he said. “In fact, these rumors are not true. We manage the training course in a very flexible way and recruits are also happy with training. ”
Related stories
29 young men escape the conscription of the Myanmar junta
Junta is recruiting dozens of Myanmar nationals expelled by Thailand
Young Burma rereads Junta Military Draft Order
There are at least 21,000 recruits in 23 military training schools across Myanmar, according to a report on Oct 19
The report included proof that those who recently completed training courses were sent on fronts in the States of Shan and Rakhine, where the fighting was ferocious.
Certain new recruits were killed during the fight against Lashio, which was captured by insurgents in August and was recently at the center of a junta counter-offensive, according to the report.
Translated by Aung Naing. Edited by Matt Reed.