In Kyaikmaraw Township, Mon State, young men eligible for military service are being called up, with two from each village summoned to attend military training.
According to local sources, since early August, township administrators, including police, soldiers, and members of the Union Solidarity and Development Party under the People’s Military Service Recruitment Committee in Kyaikmaraw Township, have been collecting lists of men of eligible age for conscription from each village.
“On the evening of August 12, in a mixed Mon–Burma village, people on the Burma side were not required to draw lots, while those on the Mon side had to. Two names were drawn. If someone is abroad, their parents or siblings must step in their place. If their name is drawn, they must return to serve in the military. Those unwilling to serve have to pay money to hire a substitute. The quota of two per village applies to every village,” said a local source from Kyaikmaraw.
Under the People’s Military Service Law of the Military Commission, men aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 to 27 are required to serve.
Subsequently, many local youth unwilling to serve in the Myanmar military under the coup regime have fled abroad.
“In our village, young people did not attend the lottery meetings that were organised. There are hardly any youth left. Only the older adults participate. However, so far, no one from our village has gone to serve. That’s because each household has been assigned to pay 15,000 kyats as a substitute. It has been like this for two years,” said another local source from Kyaikmaraw.
The Military Commission’s first weekly People’s Military Service session began in April 2025, and the 16th session is expected to be launched soon.
