Military training continues in another guise
By Hseng Khio Fah
(Shanland) -Burma Army’s recruiting campaign and military training are still going on in northern Shan State’s Muse Township on the Sino-Burma border, according to local source.
In early this month, local police officials have forcibly recruited over a hundred of youths from the town and rural areas saying they would be employed in the fire brigade. However, those recruited people actually being given a month long military training.
Each town quarter was ordered to provide at least 10 to 30 people and each village surrounding Muse at least 3 people.
“No excuse for the service. Parents are also afraid to refuse for fear of punishment,” a resident said.
The recruits are being trained at Muse’s football field since 11 August, he added.
Each trainee is provided Kyat 500 ($0.45) each day.
Since early 2009, the Burma Army has been forcing villagers in several townships in Shan State to join militia units and have been conducting many military trainings.
In May, hundreds of villagers in Shan State East’ Tachilek township, opposite Maesai and people in Namkham, northern Shan State were similarly ordered to sever either in the fire brigade or in the Union Solidarity and Development Association (USDA), but all were forced to undergo militia training, according to report by SHAN in May.
