CNI News
15 February 2024
As the mandatory military service law that every Myanmar citizen who reaches the age of 18 must serve was enforced on 10th February 2024 by the State Administration Council, human resources could decrease and it could affect the productivity within the country.
Regarding the impact on productivity, questions are emerging.
Because the law has been stated, young men have to serve in the military. However, some youths are making preparations to go abroad. So, because of mandatory military service law, local productivity could be affected.
Although the number of people in the age range eligible for military service is about 20 million, since only about 100,000 people could be recruited, it might not affect the productivity, U Thiha Paing, founder of the Via Logistics and Supply Chain, told CNI News.
While seeing a person carrying a bag of rice
" About 10 million people can't be trained at the same time. Training schools can receive from 5,000 to 10,000 people. In this way, they will recruit. Our offices have to allow some staff to go to the university. But our industries are going on. Military service is like that as well. Moreover, now many young people leave for Japan. 5,000 to 10,000 leave in one day. It doesn't make any difference. I don't think the law will affect the productivity." he said.
According to the people's military service law, All men aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 to 27 are required to serve for up to two years under military command and man specialists aged from 18 to 45 and female specialists aged from 18 to 35 must serve for three years. Specialists mean doctors, engineers, technicians or those who live by any profession.
However, if there was a state of emergency, the period of people's military service would be extended to five years. Although those who will soon be 35 years of age might be taken for the first time to do their military service, all of them could not be taken. So, around 10,000 people might be recruited for the first time, U Thet Zaw, an economic commentator, told CNI News.
" Those who will soon be 35 will be recruited for the first time. Let alone young people, all the people who will soon be 35 can't be recruited. If about one million new people join the army, they don't have enough budget for one million people. So, if you call a new batch of soldiers, you can call only ten thousand. This is not the number which can affect the productivity." he said.
While seeing Myanmar Tatmadaw was arming militia with weapons
Depending on the number of the population to be recruited for military service, workers might be scarce for the production. If only 10 out of 1000 of the population were recruited, although it had no effect, if more than 10 percent of the population were recruited, workers might be scarce for the production, U Thein Aung, chairman of the Farmers Development Association, told CNI News.
" If 10 percent of the population were recruited, it wouldn't be dangerous. But if 20 percent were recruited, it would be dangerous. If you call for one person per house, who is going to work for the family?" he said.
The Recruitment Center for the People's Military Service is formed and as the duties of the law that groups must be formed by regions, states, districts and townships have been mentioned, it will take time to summon and scrutinize.
So, it might take from three to six months in order to implement the people's military service.
