The Myanmar Lawyers Council issued a statement today declaring that the military council’s conscription law is systematically destroying the futures of the country’s youth and is illegal. The statement points out that Min Aung Hlaing, the military leader, issued the People’s Military Service Law without proper authority under the 2008 Constitution, effectively implementing a system that systematically destroys the futures of countless young people in the country. Since April 2024, the military has conducted 14 rounds of recruitment, with approximately 5,000 recruits per round, totaling an estimated 70,000 new soldiers. This military service law violates Myanmar citizens’ rights to live securely and children’s rights, while also creating situations where corruption flourishes and families of conscripted youth face threats and intimidation.
The Lawyers Council clarified that under the 2008 Constitution, the military council chairman has no authority to issue such a law, as this power belongs solely to the President of the country. The military council seized power illegally in violation of the 2008 Constitution, and their implementation of the military service law without proper legal authority represents a direct challenge to the rule of law. The council emphasized that any organization enforcing this illegally issued law is itself acting unlawfully and violating existing legal frameworks. The conscription law has led to widespread human rights violations, including the targeting of students for military service, while notably exempting the children of military officials from such obligations.
The impact of this illegal conscription law has been severe and far-reaching. Many young people have fled the country, both legally and illegally, while others remain in hiding within Myanmar. The military’s enforcement of the law has led to numerous tragic outcomes, including cases of suicide among conscripted youth and deaths in frontline combat. The situation has created a humanitarian crisis, with families being threatened if their young members are abroad, and widespread corruption in the form of bribes being demanded to avoid service or secure release from conscription. The Lawyers Council’s statement emphasizes that these actions constitute crimes against humanity, systematically targeting civilians through an illegal framework that violates both domestic and international law.
