BANGKOK/YANGON -- Myanmar's military government is allowing selected civilians to carry weapons, expanding its public mobilization beyond the draft as the fighting in its civil war edges closer to urban areas.
Government eyes complement to military and police, bracing for urban fighting

Armed groups in Myanmar have been making headway in their offensive against the government. © AP
BANGKOK/YANGON -- Myanmar's military government is allowing selected civilians to carry weapons, expanding its public mobilization beyond the draft as the fighting in its civil war edges closer to urban areas.