A member of the Township Military Service Recruitment Committee in Yangon Region has revealed that the military council is implementing a lottery system to conscript Myanmar youth living abroad into military service. During March, townships, wards, and villages are conducting military service lotteries based on census data, requiring youth to participate either in person or through their parents as representatives. The recruitment list includes all youth living abroad, with parents or relatives required to participate in the lottery on their behalf.
If family members do not participate, the respective township, ward, or village military service recruitment committee members will draw lots on behalf of the absent individuals. The conscription applies to all youth aged 18 to 35 years before December 2024. The Central Military Service Recruitment Committee has instructed officials to use persuasive methods to encourage overseas Myanmar youth to return home for military service. According to the recruitment committee member, when overseas youth are selected through the lottery, they will be notified through their parents or relatives. If they cannot return immediately, arrangements can be made for a family member to serve as a substitute, or a close relative or friend can be designated as a replacement for military service.
However, complete failure to comply with military service requirements will result in pressure on parents and relatives, who may face legal action under the People’s Military Service Law. The military council has also established multiple levels of consequences for those who fail to serve, including blacklisting, issuing arrest warrants under the People’s Military Service Law, restricting passport renewals, and implementing various other punitive measures. The military council has been conducting mass lottery events nationwide since early March to conscript youth into military service, using a system that affects both domestic and overseas Myanmar youth, demonstrating an unprecedented expansion of their forced recruitment efforts.
