The junta has begun censusing women aged 18 to 27 in some cities of Mon, Karenni, and Shan states, marking the first time it is drafting women in its conscription drive.
In Mawlamyine and Chaungzon townships of Mon State, junta-appointed officials are conducting door-to-door censuses, recording women’s names, ages, and marital status.
“The coup junta is forcing people to become conscripts to kill their own fellow citizens who oppose it. It’s absolutely unacceptable that they want to draft not just men, but women too, for mandatory service,” said Nai Peter, spokesperson for the New Rehmonnya Federated Force (NRFF).
The junta is using the 2024 population census to gather information for its conscription drive. For the first time in Loikaw, the capital of Karenni State, drafting has begun, with a quota of two young men from each ward.
“The junta’s conscription isn’t about protecting the country—it’s about exploiting our youth to keep its regime in power. It has been sending young people to their deaths without benefiting their lives or the country’s development. In short, it is sacrificing our youth to sustain the dictatorship. This is destroying the future of both the country and its young people. It’s clear the junta has chosen a path that will seriously undermine the nation’s progress,” U Banyar, secretary of the Interim Executive Council of Karenni State (IEC) said.
A woman in Taunggyi, the capital of Shan State, expressed concern that the recent censuses are specifically targeting women.
“There have been conscription censuses before, but the one in the last week of February targeted only women. Girls and their parents are so worried they can’t sleep at night, because the authorities have suggested that even women could be drafted at any time,” she told NMG.
Junta-appointed administrative officials have been compiling lists of women aged 17 to 28 in the Kan Aut, Zaypine, and Hawkone wards. The junta is recruiting conscripts in batches, with the 22nd batch currently underway.
According to the Myanmar Defense & Security Institute (MDSI), the junta has drafted around 77,000 conscripts by the 16th batch. It now appears to be preparing to send women to the frontlines as well, not just men.
