BANGKOK -- The announcement of sweeping conscription rules by Myanmar's military government has sparked a social media backlash and fresh calls by resistance forces for popular support. The move also marks a turning point for the military, which has portrayed itself as a professional fighting force but has seen accelerating defeats and desertions in recent months.
The State Administration Council, as the regime calls itself, said on Saturday that it had activated a long-standing national conscription law with immediate effect, requiring young people to serve in the armed forces for at least two years, extendable to five years in periods of national emergency. For those deemed "professional," including doctors and technicians, the minimum period would be three years. Myanmar has been under emergency rule since the military seized power and jailed elected leaders on Feb. 1, 2021.
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