In village tracts around Inle Lake, Nyaungshwe Township, southern Shan State, the junta is drafting conscripts at a rate of two per village tract.
According to locals, the junta has recruited conscripts from villages in the Inle Lake area for conscription batch 17.
“In the last election, the National League for Democracy (NLD), won the constituencies around Inle Lake. But a lot of locals still don’t have a strong political stance. They don’t support the junta, but if they’re called up for conscription, they’ll go along without refusing. In previous batches, local officials often left their relatives or people who paid bribes off the conscription lists. This time around, though, the junta is enforcing it much more strictly,” a source close to Nyaungshwe Township Administration Department said.
The Inle Lake area has a total of 34 village tracts. The junta has ordered local authorities to provide two conscripts from each tract and is pressuring them to meet the quota by the end of August.
Currently, junta-appointed 100-housegroup elders in the region are misleading young people into filling out conscription forms by claiming they will not be drafted if they complete them. They are also collecting 15,000 MMK from each person under the pretense of military funding.
In addition, conscripts are being enlisted without going through the medical examination stage. Married individuals and minors, who are supposed to be exempt under conscription law, are also being drafted by junta-appointed authorities.
“Our village administrator used to send drug addicts for conscription. Even though they failed the medical tests, they were drafted right away. He also made deals to exempt other eligible people. But in this batch, the junta is keeping a much closer watch on him,” said a Tharlayywar villager in the Inle Lake area.
The Inle Lake area comprises 446 villages grouped into 34 village tracts. The junta has instructed local authorities to prioritize drafting from villages that were not included in previous batches.
In southern Shan State, the junta holds firm control over all areas except Mobye Town and can easily draft recruits for each conscription batch, according to locals.
