According to local residents, the junta in some parts of Myanmar are now using forced recruitment of new militia members. In the past few days, there have been numerous reports of forced recruitment in more regions of the country.
According to local news reports, forced recruitment is being conducted in villages within the Pago region, Hpayargyi township, and the majority of villages in the eastern part of the Bago region.
A resident of Paukkhaung, Hpayargyi township, Pago region said, “The junta is asking for people through the Governor. Our village had to provide a list of 10 people, and these recruits will be given military training. We only have to give them a list of names. People haven't been called yet. They said, this is necessary for the security of the village."
In those areas, the military junta randomly selected local men to join the militia, and some of those chosen paid bribes to avoid conscription.
According to one resident, village administrators told residents to provide at least 5 people per village, and if they did not provide people, their community would be labelled as a PDF village, which could then be burned down.
Some regions were threatened this way and others were given incentives, such as the provision of a salary and food for individuals who served with a militia.
One military and political analyst suggested that another option to avoiding militia recruitment could be to connect with the People's Defense Forces.
According to military observers, the Junta is also recruiting militias in the Ayeyarwady and Magway regions and even in Yangon and Mandalay.
Major General Zaw Min Tun, spokesperson of the military council, told the media on January 9, said, “Ensuring people's security and maintaining a public security system are crucial for regional security. We will enhance public defense systems, and the primary requirement is public involvement. I encourage the public to participate in these protection systems and safeguard their communities.”
Political analysts noted that the military junta's recruitment of militias shows the state of the army's declining power.
