Young men in Myanmar are living in fear of being forcibly conscripted into the military, with authorities allegedly resorting to abductions and human trafficking to fill recruitment quotas. The junta, engaged in a war of attrition against ethnic militias and resistance groups, enacted a mandatory conscription law in February 2021, requiring men aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 to 27 to serve at least two years.
In cities like Hpa-An, residents report that plain-clothed junta supporters patrol the streets, arbitrarily arresting young people and forcing them into military service. Leaked documents indicate that authorities have been ordered to aggressively meet recruitment targets, a move seen as a desperate measure to bolster the junta's depleted ranks and counter a string of battlefield losses. Those who refuse conscription face up to five years in prison.
Maj Naung Yoe, a military affairs official at the Myanmar Defense and Security Institute and a former military officer who defected, stated that the mandatory conscription law is one of the most severe actions taken against the civilian population since the 2021 coup. He noted that security forces track young people, extort money through threats of detention, and arrest individuals during inspections. "Under the guise of the conscription law, these coercive arrests and recruitment drives have effectively transformed into a modern-day slavery and human trafficking enterprise," Naung Yoe said.
International rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have also reported that Myanmar's military is abducting civilians and forcing them into service. An analysis of missing-person advertisements on Facebook revealed a significant increase in notices after the conscription law was enacted, with men and boys constituting the majority of reported missing persons. "In practice, much of [the Myanmar military's] recruitment appears to be carried out through detention, coercion, and disappearance rather than formal call-up," researchers from Myanmar Witness concluded.
The desperate need for recruits has fueled an illicit market, with officials allegedly selling conscripts to other wards or regional commands struggling to meet quotas. In one instance, a woman reported that her husband was sold into military service by her own cousin for 4 million kyats ($900), and she was later scammed out of an additional 4.5 million kyats by individuals who falsely promised his release. Police accepted her complaint but refused to register human trafficking charges, citing that such cases only apply if a person is sold abroad.
More recently, in August, police arrested a fire services official and his son-in-law for abducting four young men with the intent to sell them for military conscription, after luring them with fake job offers and holding them in purpose-built detention rooms. While the junta claims recruitment is a legal process, observers and human rights groups highlight that it is increasingly carried out through coercion and disappearance.
Wealthier individuals can often pay to avoid conscription, placing the burden disproportionately on the poor. This practice, coupled with labor shortages and internal displacement, further destabilizes Myanmar's economy. The mandatory conscription law is seen by many as another tool of subjugation by the junta, compelling citizens to fight against each other in a conflict they may oppose.