"Myanmar's Junta Implements Mandatory Military Service for Youth"

Myanmar's junta has declared mandatory military service for all young men and women, with men aged 18-35 and women aged 18-27 required to serve for up to two years. Specialists like doctors aged up to 45 must serve for three years, extendable to five years in the ongoing state of emergency. The junta is struggling to contain armed rebel forces fighting for greater autonomy, and the military's failure to mount a counterattack has led to morale issues among low- and mid-level officers. The enforcement of conscription laws comes as the country remains gripped by chaos following the 2021 coup, with over 4,500 people killed in the military's crackdown on dissent and more than 26,000 arrested.