YANGON
\nMyanmar\u2019s junta has suspended the issuing of permits for men to work abroad, it said, weeks after introducing a military conscription law that led to thousands trying to leave the country.
\nThe junta, which is struggling to crush widespread armed opposition to its rule, in February said it would enforce a law allowing it to call up all men to serve in the military for at least two years.
\nThe move sent thousands queuing for visas outside foreign embassies in Yangon and others crossing into neighboring Thailand to escape the law, according to media reports.
\nThe labor ministry has \u201ctemporarily suspended\u201d accepting applications from men who wish to work abroad, the ministry said in a statement posted by the junta\u2019s information team late Thursday.
\nThe measure was needed to \u201ctake more time to verify departure processes and according to other issues,\u201d it said, without giving details.
\nMore than 4 million Myanmar nationals were working abroad in 2020, according to an estimate by the International Labour Organization citing figures from the then-government.
\nAnalysts say many more work abroad off the books.
\nThe military service law was authored by a previous junta in 2010 but was never brought into force.
\nIt allows the military to summon all men aged 18-35 and women aged 18-27 to serve for at least two years.
\nThat law also has a stipulation that, during a state of emergency, the terms of service can be extended up to five years and those ignoring a summons to serve can be jailed for the same period.
\nThe Myanmar junta announced a state of emergency when it seized power in 2021, with the army recently extending it for a further six months.
\nA first batch of several thousand recruits has already begun training under the law, according to pro-military Telegram accounts.
\nA junta spokesman said the law was needed \u201cbecause of the situation happening in our country,\u201d as it battles both so-called People\u2019s Defense Forces and more long-standing armed groups belonging to ethnic minorities.
\nAround 13 million people will be eligible to be called up, he said, though the military only has the capacity to train 50,000 a year.
\nMore than 4,900 people have been killed in the military\u2019s crackdown on dissent since its February 2021 coup and more than 26,000 others arrested, according to a local monitoring group.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
YANGON Myanmar\u2019s junta has suspended the issuing of permits for men to work abroad, it said, weeks after introducing a military conscription law that led to thousands trying to leave the country. The junta, which is struggling to crush widespread armed opposition to its rule, in February said it would enforce a law allowing it […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":404527,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-404516","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n