Myanmar’s junta is preparing to significantly expand conscription after the conclusion of the current military-staged election period, according to local sources.

February 10, 2026, will mark the second anniversary of the junta’s enforcement of the People’s Military Service Law, which has been used to carry out forced military recruitment nationwide.

“Conscription will be increased after the election,” a local source familiar with the matter told SHAN. “By April, the first batch of conscripts will have completed two years of service and must be discharged, so new recruits will be needed to replace them.”

Despite proposals raised at a Peace Forum held in Naypyidaw from June 25 to 27, 2025, calling for a suspension of conscription-related activities during the election period, the request was reportedly rejected by coup leader Min Aung Hlaing.

In townships where elections are currently taking place, authorities have been collecting household registration lists to compile voter rolls. Residents fear these lists are also being used as a database for future military conscription.

“They are collecting voter lists and household registrations at the same time,” said a resident of Mong Yawng in eastern Shan State. “They know exactly how many people live in each house. We are extremely worried this information will later be used for conscription.”

The junta activated the People’s Military Service Law on February 10, 2024, following heavy battlefield losses, including the capture of several Regional Military Command headquarters by revolutionary forces. The law was enforced to address severe manpower shortages.

Although the Military Service Law was originally enacted on November 4, 2010, under former dictator Senior General Than Shwe, it was never implemented by successive civilian governments and only came into force after the 2021 coup.

Under the law, conscription applies to men aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 to 27.

As of December 16, 2025, the junta has opened 20 military training batches, each with approximately 5,000 recruits. Based on these figures, an estimated 100,000 people have been forcibly conscripted over the past two years.

Since the law’s enforcement, large numbers of young people have fled Myanmar to avoid conscription, using both legal and illegal routes. According to the junta’s own population and census data released in October 2025, more than 1.12 million Myanmar nationals are currently living abroad. Of households with family members overseas, seven out of ten reportedly have relatives residing in neighboring Thailand.