BANGKOK – Yangon has been spared the worst of the armed conflict between the Myanmar military and resistance forces set off by the 2021 coup, but life for young people in the city may become more precarious after the junta on Feb 10 announced it was enforcing national conscription. 

According to the recently activated law, all men aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 to 27 will now have to serve in the military, and those with specialist expertise may be conscripted even if they are older. Those who evade conscription can be jailed for three to five years.