General Maung Maung Aye, Chairman of the Central Body for Summoning People’s Military Servants and the junta’s Minister of Defence, admitted on 26 February that the military has been recruiting individuals who fall outside the legal age limits.

Speaking at a high-level committee meeting, the general acknowledged that a number of recruits sent to collection points were found to be either underage or over the legal age for service and had to be returned.

He called for a more stringent screening process and announced that legal action is being taken against officials and intermediaries who have “exploited legal loopholes” or engaged in unfair recruitment practices for financial gain.

The rare admission comes as the military regime completes its 19th training batch, attempting to maintain a quota of 5,000 recruits per intake to offset heavy battlefield losses.

Since the conscription law was activated in February 2024, human rights groups and the National Unity Government (NUG) have documented widespread “snatch and recruit” operations, where young people are abducted from streets or homes.

While the law mandates service for men aged 18–35 and women 18–27, reports indicate that families are often forced to pay bribes of up to 1 million MMK to avoid the draft, leading administrators to fill quotas by seizing anyone available, including minors.

General Maung Maung Aye also warned that “false complaints” against village administrators would be prosecuted, even as displaced families report that local officials frequently use the threat of conscription to extort money from the rural poor.