Myanmar temporarily bans youth from working abroad; young men needed for army service

There were long queues outside foreign embassies in Yangon in February - Photo: Getty images via Vietnam News/ANN

YANGON (Vietnam News/ANN): The Myanmar government has suspended the issuance of permits to work overseas for citizens eligible for conscription.

This recent ban is a temporary move, said Myanmar Minister for Labour Employment and Social Security U Aye Myint.

The country’s military government enforced a law in February empowering the military to summon men aged 18-35 and women aged 18-27 to serve in the military for at least two years.

Statistics from the ministry show that in March, the official number of registered Myanmar migrant workers was 1,359,567, of whom 756,456 are male workers.

This move came on the heels of pro-democracy protests and resistance groups gaining territory. Those refusing to join the military service could face five years in prison.

The International Labour Organisation estimated that there are more than 4 million Myanmar nationals working abroad with at least 2 million male migrant workers in Thailand. - Vietnam News/ANN