In recent days, there have been reports of forced recruitment in Bago Region as the military council seeks to recruit new members for its militia forces in some parts of the country, including major cities.
According to local reports, the military junta is actively recruiting new militia members in villages in eastern Bago, including Baw Nat Gyi, Sit Pin Seik and Let Pan Ngon villages in Hpayargyi Township, and Pan Taung, Shwe Taung, Thea Kone, Paung Tei, and Pauk Khaung villages in Pyi District.
A local from Pauk Khaung village said, “They are asking for people through the administrators. Our village has provided ten people. But we have only given them a list of their names; they have not been called up yet. They said they have to attend military training for the security of the village if needed.”
Apart from the Bago Region, the military council has used various means to recruit people for the militias in Ayeyarwady and Magway Regions, as well as in major cities such as Yangon and Mandalay, according to locals and military observers.
In these areas, the military junta has forced locals to join the militia forces by drawing lots. Some winners avoid joining the militias through bribery, while others avoid the draw altogether, locals say.
A resident of Thegon village said the village administrators had demanded at least five people per village, otherwise the village would be labeled as a “pro-PDF village” and burned down.
In some areas, the military has offered incentives by promising salaries and food for serving in the militia forces, locals report.
The military junta’s spokesman Major General Zaw Min Tun told the media on 9 January: “For public and regional security, we need to strengthen the system of public security and people’s defense. In this context, public security is the most important necessity. We would like to urge the public to contribute to the protection of the nation, the lives and property of the people and our cherished region by participating in the public security and defense systems.”
Given the situation, if you cannot avoid being recruited, you should try to get in touch with the People’s Defense Forces (PDFs), a military affairs analyst said.
“As we know, it is not possible to avoid recruitment in this situation. So if you are recruited involuntarily, accept it. Take part in the training and take the weapons if they are made available to you. It is important to contact local resistance forces in advance or do so when you reach the front line. You should be prepared to link up with them and defect,” he said.
Analysts say the forced recruitment by the military council shows that they are desperate to increase their troop strength and that their administrative mechanisms have begun to collapse and can no longer ensure public safety.
Sent by IMNA.