Myanmar’s ambassador to the United Nations U Kyaw Moe Tun has implored the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to take decisive measures to halt the forced recruitment of Myanmar youths into the military by the junta under the conscription law.

Speaking during a UNSC event titled Open Debate Promoting Conflict Prevention – Empowering All Actors Including Women and Youth on March 13, the ambassador highlighted the peril faced by Myanmar's youth due to the illegal military conscription imposed by the junta.

"Now they [the military dictators] are forcing Myanmar youth into mandatory military service, not to defend the country, but to use them as human shields and porters against the growing anti-coup revolutionary forces," the ambassador informed the UNSC.

He emphasized that this forced conscription, coupled with the escalating humanitarian crisis, poses a significant regional threat.

The ambassador reiterated the calls made by the people of Myanmar and the civilian National Unity Government since early February, urging the international community to intervene and halt the junta's coercive conscription practices.

The military junta has swiftly moved to conscript young people into its armed forces since announcing the enforcement of the longstanding People’s Military Service Law on February 10. Reports indicate that registration and data-collection processes are underway in Naypyitaw and Yangon.

Furthermore, the junta has been detaining and forcibly recruiting hundreds of Rohingya men from villages and displaced persons camps in Rakhine State.

In a joint statement released on Thursday, the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) and the National League for Democracy (NLD) party called on the international community to take immediate legal and legislative actions against the junta's forced conscription practices.

The NUCC and NLD urged global support by encouraging people to sign a petition against the junta's actions, which will be presented to various governments and international organizations.

Expressing frustration over the UN's lack of action, U Kyaw Moe Tun emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating that appeals from the Myanmar people have been met with inadequate attention and action from the UN Security Council.

"I do not want to see that the UN Security Council is directly or indirectly responsible for the loss of so many innocent lives in Myanmar after the illegal military coup in February 2021. Instead, I want the UN Security Council to become a part of the solution by taking concrete action to save lives in Myanmar," he stressed.

The ambassador reiterated his call for the UN to adopt an enforcement resolution as a follow-up to its resolution 2669 adopted in December 2022, and urged measures to prevent arms and fuel supplies from reaching the military junta, as well as ensuring accountability for serious international crimes.

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