Comments on the introduction of forced conscription in Myanmar:
Forced conscription shows the junta's weakness, Justine Chambers, a Myanmar researcher and anthropologist at the Danish Institute for International Studies, told DW.
"I think it's a reflection of just how weak the military is," Chambers said. "The fact that they're so desperate: In 60 years of different military dictatorships, this is the first time they've used this rule, this law."
Chambers said conscription had already started in Myanmar's impoverished regions.
"We already know that, in some particularly poor areas and the informal settlements, they've been doing sort of random, forced conscription, grabbing young guys off the street, and recalling retired soldiers," Chambers said.
"Those who will be forced into the military will be poor people, those who don't have access to opportunities," she added. "The military will be cracking down on checkpoints, which's also a way for them to just restrict the movement of people."