Killing The Golden Goose: Junta’s Conscription And Myanmar Youth – Analysis

By Dr. Htet Khaing Min

1. Introduction

In a tale as old as time, a foolish man kills the goose that lays a golden egg each day—driven by greed, he destroys the very source of his fortune. This timeless fable echoes grotesquely in Myanmar today, where the military junta, in its desperate attempt to cling to power, is systematically destroying its own greatest asset: its youth. Once the promise of the nation’s future, Myanmar’s young people are now being forced into military service, fleeing in fear, or falling into despair. Instead of nurturing them to rebuild a fractured nation, the regime is gutting its future for short-term survival. This article unravels how the conscription law, born from desperation and greed, is bleeding Myanmar dry__ sector by sector, soul by soul.

2. Chronicle of the Myanmar Political Army

Looking back in history, Myanmar’s military has always entangled itself in political affairs to benefit its senior officials, rather than focusing on national defense. Since independence in 1948, the military has overstepped in politics, beginning with General Ne Win’s 1962 coup and reinforced by the 1974 and 2008 constitutions. These moves ensured enduring control over national resources and political structures. And with 2015, the victory of the National League of Democracy (NLD) Party, the people of Myanmar got a glimpse of democracy for 5 years. However, the nation’s thriving improvement was set back by the 2021 coupled by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who reestablished military dominance and accelerated the nation’s decline into a failed state. In response to post-coup protests and the rise of the National Unity Government (NUG) and its armed wing, the People’s Defence Force (PDF), the military launched deadly crackdowns and air raids on civilians. The result: a fractured country plagued by economic collapse, poverty, and food insecurity.

3. The Announcement of Conscription

On February 10, 2024, the junta enforced the dormant Military Service Law amid low morale and battlefield losses. Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing defended the law: “It was enacted purely to protect national security and ensure peace and stability.” Declaring conscription an essential mandated service for men aged 18–35 and women aged 18–27, with professionals eligible up to age 45. Terms range from two to five years during the state of emergency. The first batch of 5,000 was estimated to be conscripted post-Thingyan 2024, though reports of forced conscription emerged earlier, underscoring the regime’s growing desperation.

4. Conscription Sparks Youth Panic

The junta’s harsh conscription law sparked mass panic among youths fearing forced combat against their own people. Thousands rushed to passport offices and two were even killed in a crush waiting in queue, while others turned to marriage, monkhood, or hiding to avoid the draft. Many joined resistance groups like the PDF or Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs), supported by networks such as “People’s Embrace.” Retaliatory attacks on law enforcement officials caused fear and led some to resign.

The NUG denounced the conscription as unlawful, accusing the regime of exploiting civilians as human shields. It vowed resistance, pledged protection for vulnerable youth, and appealed to the international community for support through visas and educational access for those seeking safety abroad.

Myanmar’s UN ambassador, U Kyaw Moe Tun, urged the UNSC to act, backed by 397 CSOs demanding sanctions and an arms embargo. APHR condemned the draft as violating humanitarian law. EU trade unions labeled it forced labor, calling for the protection of fleeing civilians. ASEAN faced criticism for inaction.

5. Execution Plan: Built on Fraud, Carried by Force

Following the announcement, the junta enforced conscription through formal, coercive, and corrupt means. Local administrators compiled registries, conducted health checks, and barred registrants from leaving the country. And the draft dodgers will face up to five years in prison. A central conscription body and local branches granted exemptions, often in exchange for bribes. Across the nation, a lottery forced families to send youths, triggering suicides and panic. Simultaneously, young people were seized from homes, buses, and streets, with night raids in January 2025 abducting over 120 men from seven working-class areas of Mandalay townships. Widespread bribery let wealthy families dodge conscription, as corrupt officials demanded 2–5 million Kyats (USD 953–2,380). Short training raised fears of being used as human shields or porters. Even the disabled and civilians up to age 65 were recruited for local defense, instilling fear and hardship across communities.

6. Same, but Completely Different

Let’s examine the international conscription practices to shed more light on this situation. Around 80 countries worldwide have some form of conscription, but the implementation and support systems vary considerably. The US and China both have enough volunteers to keep their drafts inactive, with the US offering benefits like salaries and education for volunteers. Thailand‘s system uses a lottery, with an 11,000-baht monthly salary, deployment allowances, and extended service options with performance bonuses for voluntary service. Ukraine‘s wartime conscription for national defense against Russia saw long volunteer enlistment queues, with over 4.6 million.

In contrast, Myanmar’s conscription law is enforced by a military junta amidst internal conflict. Unlike the US and China, conscripts face forced recruitment, arbitrary arrests, and extortion, with minimal training and fear of being used as human shields. Unlike Thailand, the Junta’s conscription is leaving conscripts and their families in dire circumstances with little to no support. Unlike Ukraine, Myanmar’s conscription is driven by a repressive regime fighting against its own people.

7. Crippling Impacts

In consequence, around 45,000 men have been conscripted in nine batches within a year, with 35,000 sent to the frontlines after brief training. Many died in clashes, especially in Rakhine, or defected to resistance forces. Though the regime planned 5,000 recruits monthly, later batches grew, causing heavy casualties and loss of contact with numerous conscripts.

With these alarming fears of conscription, a youth migration wave has sparked, both legally and illegally. Many seek work or study abroad as an escape, but high migration costs and few job opportunities make it very challenging. By popular demand, scholarships have become highly competitive, further limiting overseas education to privileged and wealthy families. Visa applications surged at embassies, but foreign employment for men aged 18–35 has been suspended. Hence, many youths resorted to illegal routes, often fleeing to Thailand and facing arrest, deportation, and forced conscription upon return. Since June 2024, Thailand has deported over 1,700 Myanmar nationals, almost all handed to the junta for conscription.

For youths in Myanmar, the conscription law has triggered emotional turmoil and fear of abduction. Young people are constantly living in “panic mode,” and their daily life is filled with anxiety, derailing education and future plans. Many face the moral dilemma of fighting their own people, with one activist saying, “We are fighting each other, not foreign invaders—it’s nonsense.”

The impact extends beyond the youth, placing immense financial and emotional strain on their families. Some are forced to pay bribes even after their children are arrested, regardless of conscription status, while others must contribute funds to support local recruits, diverting money from essentials like food. The loss of young breadwinners devastates households, leaving parents unable to pay rent or forcing spouses to consider migration, often separating families.

8. Future Multisectoral Impacts

Myanmar’s conscription law threatens to derail the country’s long-term development across economic, social, political, and demographic dimensions. The enforced draft is accelerating a mass exodus of youth and skilled workers, leading to a critical brain drain. With 3.7 million already migrated to Thailand by 2023, the loss of human capital poses severe risks to economic growth, productivity, and innovation. Conscription removes young people from the labor force, worsening shortages and disrupting sectors like manufacturing and services that are already struggling due to import constraints and instability.

The law also contributes to the collapse of Myanmar’s middle class and hinders human capital development, as students abandon education in fear. Social cohesion is fraying, as forced enlistment deepens ethnic and class divisions. Meanwhile, economic desperation is fueling illicit activities, while rising displacement worsens the regional humanitarian crisis. Overall, the law signals a deepening crisis with severe consequences for Myanmar’s future.

9. Conclusion

As per the NUG Ministry of Human Rights, 23,799 individuals have been conscripted since last April’s first round, with the total including 80 women and 28 children. Given the history, the Junta will continue to do anything and everything to cling to power, at all costs, even if it is turning the nation’s future youths into human shields on the battlefield. And this is the last hurrah of a regime on the brink. Without urgent international attention like humanitarian aid, sanctions on the Junta Regime, and support for democratic actors like the NUG and at-risk youth, Myanmar risks plunging further into authoritarianism, instability, and humanitarian catastrophe. The choices made today will shape the country’s future for decades to come—either toward recovery and reform, or deeper into ruin. 

• About the author: Dr. Htet Khaing Min, a medical doctor, is a Junior Research Fellow at the Sustainability Lab of the Shwetaungthagathu Reform Initiative Centre (SRIc). He recently led Remote Health Projects, focusing on Community Health Worker programs in the border regions of Naga and Karen States.
• Source: This article was published at Shwetaungthagathu Reform Initiative Centre (SRIc).