Residents in Southern Shan State report mounting mental and physical exhaustion as communities continue to shoulder monthly military service fees and recruitment demands following the military regime’s reactivation of the Conscription Law.

February 10, 2026, marks two years since the military formally enforced the People’s Military Service Law, which has been used nationwide to arrest and forcibly conscript civilians.

In Pang Laung (Pinlaung) Township, residents say the burden is particularly severe, as they are required to pay not only national military service fees but also additional monthly contributions to the Pa-O National Organization (PNO), also known as the Pa-O militia.

“We have to pay at least 50,000 kyats a month. This includes the military service fee, general military expenses, and taxes. Even people without money are forced to sell whatever they own to pay. People are truly exhausted,” a Pang Laung resident told SHAN.

According to residents, during the first week of January 2026, each household in Pang Laung Township was required to pay 30,000 kyats toward PNO military expenses and an additional 10,000 kyats for the 21st batch of national military service recruitment.

Locals also reported that the PNO is collecting vehicle taxes ranging from 50,000 to 200,000 kyats, depending on the vehicle’s condition.

“For a good car, it’s 200,000 kyats. If it’s an old, broken-down vehicle, it’s 50,000. This is nothing but bullying the public,” the resident added.

Beyond financial pressure, residents say recruitment efforts have intensified. Local sources report that PNO leaders have been encouraging Pa-O civilians to join the militia by claiming that service in the PNO would exempt them from conscription into the regular military under the national service law.

“Recently, people have been miserable because they are being forced to give both money and manpower. Many young people are dying on the front lines,” said a local man from Pang Laung.

The military regime reactivated the People’s Military Service Law on February 10, 2024, after suffering significant manpower losses, including the capture of regional military commands and territory by resistance forces following the 2021 coup.

Although the law was originally enacted on November 4, 2010, under the State Peace and Development Council led by Senior General Than Shwe, it was never implemented during civilian-led governments. The current regime, led by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, has enforced it nationwide.

Under the law, men aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 to 27 are eligible for mandatory service. As of December 16, 2025, the military had conducted 20 training batches, each consisting of approximately 5,000 recruits. Based on these figures, an estimated 100,000 people have been conscripted in less than two years.

Residents warn that as financial pressure and forced recruitment continue, communities are being pushed beyond their limits, with resentment and fear deepening across Southern Shan State.