SEAToday.com, Naypyidaw - Myanmar’s military government on Saturday (2/10) activated for the first time a decade-old conscription law, effective immediately.

The law requires all men aged 18-35 and women aged 18-27 subject to at least two years of military service, while specialists like doctors aged up to 45 must serve for three years. The service time can be extended up to five years during a state of emergency.

The announcement was made on state media, following the army’s biggest setback to contain the nationwide armed resistance against its rule. The country was thrown into chaos after the junta seized power from the elected civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi back in 2021, sparking mass protest and crackdown across the nation.

Three years on, the junta is still struggling to contain its opposition from two sides, the pro-democracy forces following the 2021 coup, as well as the armed and trained ethnic minority groups that have been fighting for greater autonomy for decades.