In various townships across Mandalay Region, authorities are summoning parents of young people to ward and village administration offices, forcing them to draw military service lottery tickets, and conscripting youth whose numbers are drawn into military service, according to local residents. The military service lottery process has been implemented since March 12 in townships including Pyigyitagon, Myittha, and Kyaukse.
In Kyaukse Township’s Thetgyiwun Ward, authorities distributed lottery papers and the ward administrator held the ballot box while forcing parents to draw lots. Parents whose numbers were drawn were required to sign a commitment letter stating they would send their children for military service. Similar lottery drawings are being conducted in Myittha Township, while in some villages, soldiers and administrators are conducting house-to-house raids to forcibly conscript young people into the military.
In villages such as Yitkan, Yoekan, Taungwin, and Nyaungwun, young people have fled into the forests to escape the military service lottery, while village administrators are drawing lots themselves and creating lists in their absence. The military council is threatening to take action against parents if their children flee from military registration, forcing them to sign commitment letters under duress. This situation has created fear and anxiety among local residents, causing many young people to flee their homes and go into hiding.
