Burmese army distributes flyer to increase its number of soldiers

Independent Mon News Agency

October 17, 2004

The Burmese army is distributing a flyer to recruit soldiers for their army in Southern Mon State with the title: “To Protect the Country Join the Army,” Nai Choan reported.

“Yesterday local army authorities went village to village in Thanpyuzayart and Mudon townships to put flyers at the crossroads and in the main villages to increase their soldiers' number,” he said.

In the flyer, authorities wrote that they wanted people 18 years and up to join the army for a 4,000-kyat salary, with 5,000 kyat in relief benefits, and said the army would take care of families of those who join the army. It said people with a degree can join the army officers training school after eight years in the army. Others can do so after more than 10 years.

“Yes. The Burmese government needs soldiers for their extended battalions. What they have written is true by their rules,” said U Htay Aung , a researcher on the army from the Network forDemocracy and Development (NDD). "However, normally soldiers do not in reality receive what they say." 

"There are a lot of division levels in the army and many soldiers' salaries are cut by higher level army officers. Many soldiers run away from the army because of that. More than 100 soldiers have run away in 2004, and most soldiers who ran away are young and were forced to join the army anyway,” he said.

“The Burmese army has been forcing people to join the army despite international pressure to reduce such force. People in upper Burma, in the rural areas, have been forced to join the army,” U Htay Aung added.

“My 20-year-old nephew, the son of Mrs. Mick from Mon Sanpya quarter in Pegu town, was forced to join the army," said Nai Mon Hlaing. "Now he is mad because he was beaten in the head by an army officer when he requested the officer to allow him a visit home after he was forced to join the army for three months last year.”

“Some young people have been forced to join the army in Pegu,” he added.

According to U Htay Aung, the Burmese army authorities increased the army battalion during this year and previous years in ethnic area. In 2000 and 2001, Burmese army extended 10 battalions in Mon state.

“Army needed a lot of soldier for that. They have not enough soldiers to send to these battalions and they have only about 300 soldiers in a battalion. Reality, it must have 700 soldiers in a battalion,” U Htay Aung said.

In cities and big towns and at Burmese army battalions, the Burmese army puts big signboards about wanting people to join the army. 

Government also forced every man age between 15-60 years old to join it military training in 2002 and 2003. But, people in Mon state, refused to join it and tried to overcome it by ran away from the village and town.

In Mon area, the army already distributed flyers in previous years and according to IMNA sources, some villagers in Ye township and in villages nearby such as Asin village were forced to join the army.