Narinjara News
Increased Conscripts in
the Burmese Army
Sittwe, 18th June
03: In the face of large
numbers of deserters, the Burmese Army is confronting an acute manpower
shortage. Quoting sources in the army our correspondent said that to keep
the entire military machinery running conscription has been stepped up across
But people’s reluctance to join the army has caused obstacle in getting
suitable number of recruits. All the deserters of the Army in the last
five/six years have been called to join the armed forces and in a strongly
worded notice they have been warned that the ultimate consequence of not
complying with the official order is a prison sentence for three years.
A member of the Light Infantry Battalion 430, Tun Aye
who recently fled to a neighbouring country and who has deserted the army for
the last four years has told our correspondent that all the deserters and those
who are absent without leave have been ordered to be caught and send for
immediate military duties.
Besides that in an official statement the Western Commander also ordered the
recruitment for the army to be carried out according to the following method,
beginning June 03:
1. Each of the headquarters of the different defence forces in the state
has to conscript at least two every month.
2. Each battalion stationed across the state has to recruit at least two new
recruits every month.
3. Each of the companies has to recruit at least one person every month.
The non-compliance of the above official direction would entail fines and the
responsible officials in the armed forces would face drastic measures, the
official order said.
Previously the conscription was made through office orders issued to the
village tracts for the supply of conscripts. Every village was
compulsorily ordered to provide the necessary number of recruits, and the
non-compliance always meant trouble and fines for the villages. With the
new orders in force from June the villagers are once again at a loss, fearing
the forced conscription orders that were withdrawn at the pressure from the
international communities to be placed once again. Like before the
villagers are apprehensive of the fact that the new order would make their
lives miserable once again since the army men would come for large sum of
bribes if they fail to comply with the demands for new recruits, A village
headman from border town said.
Tun Aye also said that the corruption and whimsical
rules by the top brass of the armed forces are much to blame for the
large-scale desertion of the army, as they create miseries and dissatisfaction
among the rank and file. #