An interview with a Muslim man from the Kyauk Ta Lone IDP camp who fled to avoid conscription
The military council, which has suffered losses on several battlefronts across the country, enforced the People’s Military Service Law on 10 February this year, requiring all eligible citizens to serve in the military.
After enforcing the conscription law, the junta began to forcibly recruit people, provide them military training, and send them to the frontlines.
In Arakan State, the junta has also recruited Rohingya people, including Arakanese people, and forcibly sent them to the frontlines, causing many Muslims to flee.
Development Media Group (DMG) conducted this interview with a Muslim man from the Kyauk Ta Lone IDP camp in Kyaukphyu Township, who is one of the Muslims fleeing military service. (For security reasons, the name of the interviewee is not disclosed.)
Q: Can you tell us when and how the military council informed the Muslims in the Kyauk Ta Lone camp about military service?
A: They informed us about military service on 16 February. It became coercive by 20 February. They said that all eligible adults, one from each household, must come. Their law only applies to the ages from 18 to 35. But now they are calling up everyone from 18 to 55 in our IDP camp.
Q: Why did you flee after being informed about the military service?
A: The junta has been calling us “illegal Bengalis” from the beginning. Even the current conscripts mostly don’t have IDs. After enforcing the military service law, they said, “You are all citizens. You have to do military service. You have to work for the country.” I feel this is unjust. That’s why we fled to avoid military service.
Q: Can you tell us how you escaped military service?
A: Since we couldn’t escape from the Kyauk Ta Lone IDP camp t through the main road, we escaped through the jungle route. There, we met with the AA officials and told them that we fled because the junta was trying to recruit us. Now we have found shelter in areas under AA’s control. The AA has provided us with food and shelter as much as possible.
Q: What difficulties are you facing now that you are in hiding?
A: Since we can’t find work under these circumstances, our friends can’t support us much either. We are just getting by with the little we have. The AA has been providing us with food and shelter and arrange livelihood as best they can.
Q: We’ve heard that the junta is threatening and arresting the family members of those who have fled to avoid military service. Can you tell us more about that situation?
A: Of those who fled, about four people’s families have been arrested. For one young man, his father is suffering from stroke. His other eye was also operated on. Both his parents were taken away. For another, only the father was arrested. For another, the baby was only 15 days old, and the mother and newborn were taken away in a prison van. For another, the one-and-a-half-year-old son and the mother were taken. I heard that they released them a day before sending us to the AA-controlled area. The elderly couple with the husband suffering from stroke were allowed to go back to the camp, but the others were not allowed to re-enter. The camp allegedly refused to accept them, saying they can’t stay there. Two women and a child came with us. I heard the others are staying in the areas near Gone Chein village.
Q: Can you also tell us about the current situation of the Muslims from the Kyauk Ta Lone camp who are doing their military service?
A: A total of 117 people from age 18 to 55 have been drafted. I heard that they received 14 days of training under the junta’s LIB 542. Currently, 50 of the 177 people have been sent to act as security guards along with soldiers to places like Nga/La Pwayt, Sain Chon, Ku Toet Seik , Ma La Kyun, Pyin Hpyu Maw, Pying Seik Kay, and Htaung Shey. These 50 people will have to guard the checkpoints there for 15 days before being sent back to the battalion. After that, the next 50 people will be called up to the checkpoints.
Q: Can you also tell us about the current situation of the people in the Kyauk Ta Lone IDP camp?
A: Currently in Kyauk Ta Lone IDP camp, the family members of those doing military service are allowed to freely come and go to Kyaukphyu town. But the family members of those who fled are not allowed to leave the camp.
Sent by Aung Htein (DMG)