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Myanmar junta blocks military-aged men from work abroad

January 31, 2025/in News

Ministry of Labor told employment agencies not to allow men aged 18 to 35 to sign up for foreign work contracts. Myanmar’s junta has banned employment agencies from sending military aged men abroad as it struggles with a growing civil war while promising to extend peace and stability for an election that it hopes will […]

Over 1,000 civilians flee Sittwe amid tension between Myanmar junta and ethnic army

January 31, 2025/in News

They fear becoming targets of bombings, sniper fire or airstrikes. More than 1,000 civilians have fled Rakhine state’s capital Sittwe and nearby areas in western Myanmar, fearing heavy artillery attacks as tensions rise between junta forces and the Arakan Army, an ethnic armed group that has advanced on junta positions, residents said Friday. Ongoing exchanges […]

Myanmar junta blocks military-aged men from work abroad

January 31, 2025/in News

Over 1,000 civilians flee Sittwe amid tension between Myanmar junta and ethnic army

January 31, 2025/in News

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Myanmar junta blocks military-aged men from work abroad

January 31, 2025/in News

Ministry of Labor told employment agencies not to allow men aged 18 to 35 to sign up for foreign work contracts.

Myanmar’s junta has banned employment agencies from sending military aged men abroad as it struggles with a growing civil war while promising to extend peace and stability for an election that it hopes will bolster its legitimacy.

Millions of Myanmar people have gone abroad to work, many through arrangements it has with other governments, organized by employment agencies.

While the overseas workers are an important source of income for the junta that seized power in a coup on Feb. 1, 2021, the military is also keen to fill the ranks of its armed forces as it battles ethnic minority insurgents and allied pro-democracy fighters.

Nearly a year after the junta enforced a conscription law, began recruiting women and arresting young men to serve, it has sought to block prospective soldiers from travelling abroad for work, representatives of employment agencies told Radio Free Asia on Friday.

“Starting today, people between the ages of 18 and 35 will no longer be eligible for the OWIC,” an official at a Yangon-based oversea employment agency told Radio Free Asia, referring to the Overseas Worker Identification Card, issued by the Ministry of Labor, which everyone hoping to work abroad must obtain.

“The restriction does not apply to women yet, only males between the ages of 18 and 35,” the official said, referring to a ministry order to stop issuing the cards.

RFA tried to telephone the junta’s spokesperson, Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Htun, to ask about the policy, but he did not answer. Minister of Labor Nyan Win also declined to comment and referred RFA to Zaw Min Htun.

The ruling military extended a state of emergency for another six months on Friday saying more needed to be done to ensure peace and stability for a successful general election.

No date has been set for an election, which anti-junta forces have dismissed as a sham. The constitution mandates that an election must be held within six months after a state of emergency is lifted.

In December, junta authorities ordered job agencies to add a clause in migrant workers’ contracts stating they could be called home for military service.

One young man hoping to get a job through an agency to work in Thailand – where about 1.8 million Myanmar workers are officially employed and many more work unofficially – was despondent about his chances.

“I already signed a contract with the agency and put a deposit down,” said the 25-year-old who declined to be identified.

Another employment agency employee said migrant workers who come home for a visit could be banned from going back to their jobs abroad.

“Some people might come back without studying the situation here … They won’t be given permission to go abroad again,” said the agency staffer, who also declined to be identified.

Under Myanmar’s Military Service Enactment Law, anyone summoned for military service, as well as anyone who manages to postpone their service, are not allowed to travel to go abroad.

RFA News

Over 1,000 civilians flee Sittwe amid tension between Myanmar junta and ethnic army

January 31, 2025/in News

They fear becoming targets of bombings, sniper fire or airstrikes.

More than 1,000 civilians have fled Rakhine state’s capital Sittwe and nearby areas in western Myanmar, fearing heavy artillery attacks as tensions rise between junta forces and the Arakan Army, an ethnic armed group that has advanced on junta positions, residents said Friday.

Ongoing exchanges of fire between junta soldiers and the Arakan Army, or AA, in nearby villages, have prompted residents to seek safe havens out of concern that they might be hit by bombs, sniper fire, drone strikes or air strikes, should the conflict escalate.

Of the 17 townships in Rakhine state, 14 are under the control of the AA, leaving only three — Sittwe, the military council’s regional headquarters, Kyaukphyu and Munaung — still in the hands of the military junta.

A Myanmar junta armored vehicle burns after Arakan Army forces attacked a column that left Sittwe in Rakhine state on Feb. 28, 2024. — A Myanmar junta armored vehicle burns after Arakan Army forces attacked a column that left Sittwe in western Myanmar’s Rakhine state, Feb. 28, 2024. (Arakan Army Info Desk)

Observers believe that the AA soon could launch an offensive against Sittwe.

And because of this, civilians say they fear getting trapped in the crossfire of heavy artillery used by junta battalions based in Sittwe if the AA strikes.

Sittwe is crucial for the junta — which seized control of Myanmar in a 2021 coup d’état — not only as a source of much-needed revenue and foreign currency, but also for its role in Myanmar’s oil and gas trade via the Indian Ocean.

Besides Sittwe, people in Rathedaung, Pauktaw and Ponnagyun —townships close to Sittwe — are also leaving their homes out of fear of direct attacks, said a Rathedaung resident who spoke on condition of anonymity for safety reasons.

Sittwe township, Rakhine State, Myanmar, is seen May 15, 2023. — An aerial view of Sittwe township in western Myanmar’s Rakhine state, May 15, 2023. (AP)

“Some already fled from Sittwe township, but now they find themselves forced to flee again, adding to their hardships,” the person said. “Many are struggling due to a lack of warm clothing for winter and severe shortages of basic necessities after being displaced.”

Junta fortifies positions

The junta’s blockade of transportation routes in Rakhine state, which has made travel for displaced civilians difficult, has compounded the situation, they said.

Sittwe residents told RFA that the AA has surrounded the city with a large number of troops while the military junta has fortified its positions, increasing its military presence with battalions outside the city, in areas of Sittwe, and at Sittwe University, in preparation for a defensive stand.

Additionally, thousands of Rohingya — a stateless ethnic group that predominantly follows Islam and resides in Rakhine state — have been given military training by the junta, sources said.

“The army is shooting; the navy is also shooting,” said a Sittwe resident. “People are afraid. They don’t know when the fighting will start.”

AA’s heavy artillery

The AA has already fired heavy artillery and used snipers. Local news reports on Jan. 27 indicated that daily exchanges of fire were occurring between the ethnic army and junta forces, including the use of attack drones.

War-displaced persons fleeing Sittwe city, Rakhine State, Myanmar, Jan. 29, 2025. — Civilians displaced by armed conflict flee Sittwe, capital of western Myanmar’s Rakhine state, Jan. 29, 2025. (Wai Hun Aung)

Attempts by RFA to contact both AA spokesperson Khaing Thu Kha and junta spokesperson and Rakhine state attorney general Hla Thein for comment on the issue went unanswered by the time of publishing.

Human rights advocate Myat Tun said he believes the AA will resort to military action in Sittwe if political negotiations fail.

“The situation in Sittwe is escalating,” he said. “The AA is preparing to take military action if political solutions are not reached.”

RFA News

Spring Revolution

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Human Rights Violations took place in States and Regions from Sep 15 to 21, 2024 Military Junta Troop launched airstrikes and dropped bombs in Sagaing Region, Mandalay Region, Shan State, Chin State, Rakhine State, and Kachin State from September 15th to 21st. The Military Junta committed arresting, occupying the properties, threatening by using power, and […]

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ND Burma

ND-Burma formed in 2004 in order to provide a way for Burma human rights organizations to collaborate on the human rights documentation process. The 13 ND-Burma member organizations seek to collectively use the truth of what communities in Burma have endured to advocate for justice for victims. ND-Burma trains local organizations in human rights documentation; coordinates members’ input into a common database using Martus, a secure open-source software; and engages in joint-advocacy campaigns.

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Junta fortifies positions

AA’s heavy artillery

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