"Myanmar Junta's Conscription Law Sparks Mass Exodus Fears"
Myanmar's military is facing significant manpower shortages due to months of fighting against rebels, prompting the junta to announce a conscription plan for the first time in its history. The plan will require men aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 to 27 to serve for up to two years, with specialists like doctors serving for three years. Analysts and defectors have noted a decline in troop strength and officer enlistments, as well as a rise in defections due to fatigue, demoralization, and shortages of basic supplies. The military's battlefield defeats have led to public calls for the Commander-in-Chief to step down, and despite the conscription plan, the military may struggle to rapidly ramp up its manpower.
