Burmese army distributes flyer to increase its number
of soldiers
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Independent Mon News Agency
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
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.
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