By Ma Ma - Feb 11, 2024
According to the factory workers, they have to start filling out the Biometric Enrollment Application Form of the Junta’s Ministry of Immigration and Population.
"We are being asked to fill out such forms without any explanation at the factory. I want to know how it will affect the workers. Are we really having to join the military?" said a worker at the BOHUA factory, which locates on Secretary Road, Shwe Lin Ban Industrial Zone, Hlaing Thar Yar Township.
He also said that factory workers in various industries are facing many difficulties with each own anxieties according to the regime’s civilian mandatory military service law.
“The male workers at our factory are too scared because of this law. They told their leaders that they don’t want to work overtime as they were afraid of being conscripted if they went back home late. They want to go back at 4:00 pm as the conscription is stipulated legally not the same as forced drugging before. The factory said they must work. So, the workers asked permission to sleep at the factory and to provide them a shutter. Workers said that they would not work overtime weather they are fired or not, settlement have not reached,” said a worker from garment factory from East Dagon New City Township.
Most of the factory workers have to work overtime at night but they want to go back early for now as the conscription law has come out and there have been reports of missing young people in recent times but the employers are verbally abusing and illegally dismissing for refusing to work overtime which is making the hardest times for the worker.
In addition, a kitchen worker from a restaurant from Mandalay said that “Workers are going back at 18:30 here. The employers close the shops too. No one is on the road on 19:00pm. Everyone is having concern due to the news weather it is true or not. Its better to be conscripted in our house than our home. Workers who work night shift will be very difficult during these times but everyone have concerns”
On February 12, 2024 the Junta announced the reverse personal law that is promulgated by the State Peace and Development Council on 2010 with law No. 28/2010 and said the law must come into force on February 13th, 2024.
In addition, the Military Council continued to publish the announcement of the formation of the central militia recruitment on the night of February 13th.
The announcement said that every citizen is responsible to protect the union, ethnic solidarity and sovereignty and the militia law has been stipulated for that. It also stated that Union Government has announced the establishment of a militia recruitment center under Section 6 of the Militia Service Law (1/2024) in order to implement this law.
The central militia recruitment council contains deputy prime minister and union minister of defense as chairman, office of the Commander-in-Chief of Defense (Army) and Coordination Commander (Army, Navy, Air Force) as Vice President, Chief of Army Staff as Secretary and Directorate of Militia and Frontier Forces as Joint Secretary
