Last week, Myanmar’s military government banned conscription-aged men from leaving the country for work as it continues to take losses in fights against multiple armed groups. The new law came after tens of thousands applied for visas to avoid military conscription. But thousands more are joining armed groups to oppose the junta.

Naypyidaw

Thousands Join Armed Groups Fighting Junta in Myanmar

Myanmar’s military government has recently enacted a law preventing conscription-aged men from leaving the country for employment, amidst ongoing battles with various armed factions. This decision was made as the junta faces significant opposition, with tens of thousands attempting to leave the country to evade military conscription. Despite this, a notable number of individuals are choosing to join armed groups to fight against the military regime.

In remote areas, new recruits, undeterred by their lack of real firearms during training, are preparing for combat with a clear understanding of their potential roles in the conflict. Many express a readiness to face the dire choices that combat entails, motivated by a desire to protect their families and communities rather than by animosity towards the soldiers themselves. Regular drills and rigorous training sessions are designed to instill discipline, resilience, and cooperation among the recruits, with no leniency shown towards female participants. These preparations culminate in a pledge of allegiance to the People's Defence Force (PDF).

The influx of volunteers into the PDF contrasts sharply with the military's attempts to showcase its strength. The military parades new conscripts and distributes supplies in a display meant to demonstrate abundance and readiness. However, reports from within suggest that the military is struggling to procure basic equipment. Meanwhile, the PDF is inspired by the legacy of Aung San, a key figure in Myanmar's history, with an actor who portrayed him in a film now training recruits. This reflects the PDF’s morale and determination, as recruits voluntarily endure hardship for the promise of a democratic future, a commitment they're willing to defend with their lives.



Thousands join armed groups fighting junta in Myanmar

In full-throated battle cry, fighters charge out from their hidden positions. For the moment, however, their enemy is imagined and their rifles aren't real. They're new recruits, but they have no doubts about what they're training for. If I have to, yeah, I'm prepared to kill. My main target is to become a military doctor, but if I have to, so I think I will do that. If I choose to kill the people, that's not because of the hate of the soldier. So I focus, I need to protect my family and my people. Watching carefully for military spotter planes, they're drilled on an open-air parade ground, put through their paces in the baking heat to teach them to follow orders, experience hardship and work together. No allowances for the female recruits, these are skills which will keep them alive. And before they can break for food, the pledge of allegiance to the People's Defence Force. Since the new conscription laws came into force, thousands of young men and women have come down into the jungles to join the pro-democracy forces. They'd rather fight against the military junta than join their ranks. The military has been showing off its new conscripts too, marching to the beat of a brass band. But new laws forbidding men from working overseas indicates they're struggling to fill their ranks. The armfuls of fresh supplies handed out in front of the cameras contrast with stories from new recruits who say basic equipment is in short supply. In the PDF have a secret weapon, Aung San, the general who freed Myanmar from British rule. The actor who played him in a recent film about his life, now training new recruits. This forced conscription makes resistant forces stronger. No one accepts their order, so youths are now joining the People's Defence Force instead of being conscripted by the military. We have seen many more youths join since then. No brass bands here, these are volunteers, paying in sweat and hardship for their belief in a democratic future. A belief for which they say they're prepared to lay down their lives. Tony Cheng, Al Jazeera, Eastern Myanmar.

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