THE Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (Forum-Asia) strongly condemns the forced conscription of Myanmar youth as ordered by the military junta on Feb 10. The People’s Military Service Law requires men ages 18 to 35 and women ages 18 to 27 to serve for up to two years in the military, with possible extensions up to five years during a state of emergency. Evading orders is punishable by three to five years in prison.
The draft is set to begin in April. However, there have been reports of mass arrests and abductions of youths for the purpose of forced conscription. Thousands of youths are scrambling to flee the country.
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