When Myanmar’s junta announced a conscription law to help crush a popular pro-democracy uprising, Khaing knew there was only one way to escape its clutches, and began planning her escape.
Weeks later the former teacher was hidden in a smuggler’s van heading into Thailand with little more than some clothes, cash and an ID card, not knowing when she would be able to return.
She is one of tens of thousands of young people who rights groups estimate have fled Myanmar since the military introduced conscription in February to shore up its depleted ranks.
The junta is battling widespread armed opposition to its 2021 coup and its soldiers are accused of bloody ramapages and using air and artillery strikes to punish civilian communities.
It says it wants to enlist 5,000 people aged between 18-35 a month, but details on how they will be chosen, and where and how they will serve are vague.
Media reports of young men being dragged off the streets and into the army — which the military denies — have further added to the panic.
Shortly after enacting the law, the junta tightened requirements for people crossing Myanmar’s land borders, and temporarily halted issuing foreign work permits for young men.
Thailand has long been home to a sizeable Myanmar community, with a bustling market in Bangkok and towns along the border.
The conflict has made it difficult to conduct surveys or verify how many young people had fled abroad to escape conscription, said an official from the International Labour Organisation.
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