{"id":27098,"date":"2024-02-15T16:02:37","date_gmt":"2024-02-15T10:32:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/farratanews.online\/burmas-military-government-to-draft-60000-people-yearly-existing-forces-spread-thin\/"},"modified":"2024-02-15T16:02:37","modified_gmt":"2024-02-15T10:32:37","slug":"burmas-military-government-to-draft-60000-people-yearly-existing-forces-spread-thin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/farratanews.online\/burmas-military-government-to-draft-60000-people-yearly-existing-forces-spread-thin\/","title":{"rendered":"Burma’s military government to draft 60,000 people yearly, existing forces spread thin"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Burma’s military government on Wednesday said it will draft 60,000 young men and women yearly for military service under its newly activated conscription law, with call-ups beginning after the April festival marking the country\u2019s traditional New Year.<\/p>\n
The conscription measure was activated on Saturday by order of the chairman of the ruling military council, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing.<\/p>\n
His surprise announcement appeared to confirm that the military has been stretched thin by increasing pressure from armed pro-democracy resistance forces that emerged after the army seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021.<\/p>\n
ETHNIC REBELS REPORTEDLY SHOOT DOWN BURMESE MILITARY HELICOPTER<\/strong><\/p>\n There are no reliable figures for the size of Burma’s military. The CIA World Factbook estimated that last year it had around 150,000-400,000 personnel. The Washington-based U.S. Institute of Peace has suggested that 21,000 service personnel have been lost through casualties, desertions and defections since the military takeover, leaving an effective force of about 150,000.<\/p>\n Under the law, men aged 18 to 35 and women 18 to 27 can be drafted into the armed forces for two years. A higher age limit of 45 for men and 35 for women applies in certain professional categories such as medical doctors and engineers, and their term of service is three years.<\/p>\n The army\u2019s information office said in a statement sent to journalists that 5,000 people each month will be called up and given training. Women will be called up starting with the fifth batch, it said.<\/p>\n