Junta officials in Ward 4 of the Karen State capital, Hpa-An, are demanding monthly payments from both young men and young women to guarantee they will avoid conscription.

Since the beginning of April 2025, junta-appointed administrative officials from Hpa-An City’s Ward 4 have been demanding that young women pay 5,000 MMK and young men pay 30,000 MMK to a ‘conscription fund’ to ensure they will not be conscripted.

A young woman from Hpa-An’s Ward 4 said to KIC: “Four ward administration officials came to our house. We thought they were just checking if we had any overnight guests, but that wasn’t the case. They told us that, after a meeting, they’d be collecting a monthly fee from young people in Ward No. 4 who didn’t want to be conscripted. They said girls would have to pay 5,000 MMK per month, and boys 30,000 MMK. Then, they took the money from me.”

In recent days, junta officials have been forcing conscription age residents of Ward 4 to attend conscription meetings according to another woman from Ward 4 who spoke to KIC.

She said: “They said that every household with young men or women must attend the meetings. They didn’t mention anything about conscription funding. In our household, we have a young man and a young woman, and they notified us that one of us must attend the meetings. They also made it clear that no other individuals above conscription age would be allowed to attend.”