The junta has drafted young men nationwide for its conscription batch 22, with nearly 300 from Mon State, according to junta statistics.

The opening ceremony for military training of conscription batch 22 was held on February 18 at the Military Advanced Training Depot 4 (MATD 4) under the Southeast Region Military Command in Mawlamyine, the capital of Mon State.

Photos published by junta-controlled propaganda newspapers showed nearly 300 conscripts in Mon State, marking an increase from previous batches.

A source close to the junta told Than Lwin Times that the recent increase in conscripts was due to the junta’s tactic of abducting local youths for recruitment.

“The number of conscripts in this batch has risen because the junta has stepped up abductions. Earlier, it had slowed down a bit during the election period, but now it has intensified them again. The regime is abducting as many young people as it can and sending them to military training,” he said.

Since early February, the junta has been abducting young people across Mon State for batch 22, in some cases taking them from their homes under the pretext that they were selected through a conscription lottery.

In addition, those arrested for being deemed suspicious, riding two men on a motorcycle, or simply commuting to work were also conscripted.

According to data collected by Than Lwin Times, nearly 4,500 young men were drafted in Mon State during the junta’s conscription batches 1 to 22.