MYANMAR’S military government said it will draft 60,000 young men and women yearly for military service under its newly activated conscription law, with call-ups beginning after the April festival marking the country’s traditional new year.

The conscription measure was activated on Saturday by order of the chairman of the ruling military council, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.

His announcement appeared to confirm that the military has been stretched thin by increasing pressure from armed pro-democracy resistance forces that emerged after the army seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021.