The Arakan Army (AA) has rejected three underage boys who voluntarily sought to join the armed group in Rakhine State, returning them to their parents on August 18 in accordance with its enlistment policies, according to local sources.
The three boys—Maung Kyaw San Oo and Maung Soe Naing Oo, both 13, and Maung Win Min Than, 14—left their home in Kyankhin Village, Ponnagyun Township, on August 13 without informing their families, intending to enlist as soldiers.
Upon arriving at an AA facility, the boys were held for questioning to verify their identity and background.
“The three children arrived at an AA military facility because they wanted to join,” a source close to the armed group said. “The AA kept them for a day or two and questioned them carefully. After determining they were underage, they were returned to their parents. If they reach the required age in the future, the AA will accept their wish to serve.”
Under the National Defense Emergency Provision (NDEP) established by the United League of Arakan (ULA), the AA’s political wing, military service applies only to men aged 18 to 45 and women aged 18 to 35 across AA-controlled areas in Rakhine State and Paletwa Township in Chin State.
The provision explicitly mandates strict screening for age and medical fitness before enlistment.
The group reiterated that it maintains a strict policy against using child soldiers and will continue to reject and return any underage walk-ins.
The action comes amid heightened international scrutiny over recruitment practices in Myanmar’s conflict zones. The United Nations’ Children and Armed Conflict (UN CAAC) annual report has previously cited the AA among various armed actors for using child soldiers.
In early 2025, local reports alleged that AA recruitment drives in Maungdaw Township had forcibly enlisted nearly 40 villagers, including minors and a pregnant woman.
The ULA/AA directly denied those claims in August 2025, reaffirming that its forces adhere strictly to NDEP guidelines and prohibit the forced conscription of minors, pregnant women, or mothers with young children.
