As the weekly military conscription for women approaches, more women are seeking refuge in liberated areas, with nearly a hundred contacting the Mon State Federal Council (MSFC), according to MSFC officials.
With women required to join the military conscription program in week five, many women of conscription age are fleeing abroad or seeking shelter in liberated areas.
Currently, the young women who have sought refuge are involved in education, livelihoods, and other revolutionary activities, an MSFC official stated.
“All the young people are looking for a way out, but when they have no other option, they contact us. Sometimes, even the parents reach out because they can’t protect their daughters from the law. There are nearly a hundred women now. We help connect those who don’t want to take up arms with educational institutions or other departments,” the official said.
The military junta mandates that all citizens serve, setting the age range for men at 18 to 35 and for women around 18 to 27.
As a result, young people who have passed university entrance exams are unable to continue their education and are leaving the country, said a young Mon woman.
“Some can’t leave their parents behind, so they struggle to find a way to flee. Since parents can’t protect them from this law, they don’t stop them from going abroad. Despite various obstacles, they find a way out of the country,” she said.
Additionally, military junta officials in Mawlamyine are reportedly recruiting women who have passed university entrance exams for the weekly military conscription (week five).
The MSFC, representing Mon State revolutionary groups, is accommodating young Mon men and women fleeing the military conscription law, and is preparing to accept young people from other ethnic regions as well.
