APSN | Burma: Military plans to recruit youth to boost up unpopular regime

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Burma: Military plans to recruit youth to boost up unpopular regime

Asian Human Rights Commission News Release - February 2, 2011

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The attempt by the military government of Burma to introduce a law which is entitled Public Military Service Law is quite disturbing. The assessment of the move by the military regime which has now established a parliament which is basically controlled by the military itself. The question is as to why they are moving towards the compulsory recruitment of the Burmese young persons into military service and this should be looked at carefully. The primary purpose of the military in Burma is to suppress the peoples' movements which have been agitating for genuine democracy in Burma.

The movement organized and symbolized by Aung San Suu Kyi and the democratic parties of Burma has struggled since 1988 to end the military usurpation of the political power in Burma. The total preoccupation of the military in Burma is to suppress this movement and the new recruitment of young persons would be seen as a move to mobilize the youth of Burma against the democratic movement which they, in fact support. This move should be seen more as a political move to create deep division within the Burmese people at the very time Burma needs to be more united in the attempt to overcome many offense extremely difficult economic, social and political problems.

Attempt to use the Burma youth against Burmese people themselves cannot be legitimate. The purpose of military is to protect the nations from external enemies and not to create political suppression from within the country itself.

The election of the new parliament has not made any change in the political situation at all. The decision taken by Aung San Suu Kyi and her democratic front to boycott the election has been seen by the Burmese people themselves as well as outside as a very legitimate move. At a time when the military is trying to consolidate its power which has lost any kind of legitimacy the people have lost any kind of confidence in this extremely suppressive regime.

The priority in Burma is not for recruitment of youth, but for the suppression of its own people and to grant greater freedom to the democratic parties to become active within the political life and to play the role that they have decided to play for a very long time. Creating opportunities for greater violence within Burma would not be in the interests of the Burmese people.

The attempt to recruit young persons from among the Burmese is an attempt to utilize these young persons for bloodshed. We have seen such mobilization of youth against their own people in many places for example in Indonesia between 1965 and 1966. Burma has seen continuous suppression from 1962 on and does not need to see any more bloodshed or anymore suppression to his own people. Therefore this move needs to be exposed and opposed in the interest of a democracy and freedom in Burma.