Myanmar 20240507: Conscription, Defection, Blackouts

Mekong Memo Myanmar Weekly: Business, politics, finance, trade & legal news.

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Here is your Mekong Memo this week for Myanmar. As always, your feedback and paid subscriptions are very much appreciated and help support us to continue keeping you informed.

Headlines:

Junta Bans Male Overseas Workers

Conscription Exodus as Thailand Navigates Refugee Challenges

Thais Doubling Down While Competition Scarce

A Defector's View on the Crumbling Junta

More than 1100 Civilian Properties Seized

Exiting Brands May Worsen Labor Abuses

Drones and Other Consumer Tech Reshaping the Battlefield

US Condemns Assault on Religious Freedom

Min Aung Hlaing in Quest for Civilian Power

Crippled Electrical Grid Struggling to Meet Demand

Heatwave Claiming Lives and Livelihoods

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Junta Bans Male Overseas Workers

In an attempt to boost military recruitment after announcing mandatory conscription in February, the junta has banned all men aged 18-35 from working abroad. The ban, which took effect May 1, suspends permits for men to work overseas as the junta seeks to shore up troop numbers to fight the armed opposition. Women aged 18-27 also face conscription, but apparently are not subject to this overseas work order. Prior to the ban, more than 4 million Myanmar nationals worked abroad, with Thailand a top destination. The junta called the restriction temporary but has given no timeline for lifting it.

Read more: Radio Free Asia (Ban Details), The Nation Thailand (Fleeing Conscription), ABC News (Overseas Workers)

Conscription Exodus as Thailand Navigates Refugee Challenges

Myanmar's unpopular mandatory military service has triggered a potential refugee crisis, with Thailand bracing for an influx of those fleeing conscription. Thailand, already hosting thousands of displaced Myanmar nationals, faces a balancing act in upholding humanitarian principles while addressing security concerns and domestic demands. The situation really shows the need for Thailand to adapt its policy stance and explore alternative approaches to respond to the challenges posed by instability in Myanmar.

Read more: Eurasia Review (Thailand Refugee Approach), Observer Research Foundation (Myanmar Crisis Response), Nikkei Asia (Policy Shift Needed)

Thais Doubling Down While Competition Scarce

Thailand's Foreign Ministry recently held a seminar in Yangon to guide Thai entrepreneurs through the complexities of operating in Myanmar during this period of unrest. The Thai government claims that despite the challenges, Myanmar's economy remains healthy, with bustling streets and brisk businesses in Yangon. Thai exporters face hurdles due to junta-imposed import restrictions, focused on necessities and items not produced domestically, but the situation is also presenting opportunities for Thai businesses to improve their presence in Myanmar, a member of both ASEAN and RCEP, while competition is scarce.

Read more: Nation Thailand

A Defector's View on the Crumbling Junta

As Myanmar's military junta loses grip, a defector reveals internal despair. Three years after seizing power, the junta is seeing an escalating armed uprising reclaiming territory. Ethnic and pro-democracy forces, working together against oppression, are steadily eroding the regime's control. A former junta officer, now with the resistance, exposes the top brass's demoralization and fear of a collapse, bringing to light the ongoing conflict's devastating toll on civilians and the military's fragile future.

Read more: The World (Audio)