Police and immigration officials at border checkpoints along the Myanmar-China border in Muse Township, northern Shan State, are now denying passage to young people who are eligible for military service, according to local sources.
Since 12 February, military council-controlled gates at Nan Taw and Sin Phyu began restricting border crossings for individuals eligible for conscription – men between 18 and 35 years old, and women under 27 years old, local residents report.
“Immigration officers and police at Nan Taw and Sin Phyu gates are no longer allowing people with temporary border crossing permits (red books) to cross. It’s not just Myanmar authorities – Chinese police are also denying entry on their side,” said a young man from Muse.
The young man added that those who must travel to China for urgent matters like medical care are only permitted to cross if they can provide documentation proving they have not received military conscription orders.
Local residents speculate that the military junta may have reached an agreement with Chinese authorities to prevent military-age individuals listed for conscription from leaving the country, using border checkpoint restrictions as leverage.
Similarly, many workers from mainland Myanmar who have arrived in Muse through employment agencies and brokers are being sent back home due to the age restrictions on border crossings.
Since 2024, people had been able to work in China’s Yunnan Province using 7-day temporary border passes (TBP green cards) through Muse’s border gates.
Now, over 4,000 young people who have arrived with guarantees from agencies and brokers are being forced to return home.
According to employment agencies, border checkpoints in Muse and Tachileik have intensified screening after the junta began restricting overseas employment for military-age men on 31 January.
Sent by Shan News.
