Young men no longer allowed to leave southern Myanmar town to enter Thailand

Junta authorities have started preventing young men from leaving the southern Myanmar town of Kawthaung to travel to neighbouring Thailand, according to local residents. This restriction, which applies to men aged 18 to 35, went into effect on Monday, locals told Myanmar Now. Kawthaung is Myanmar’s southernmost town, and is located in Tanintharyi Region opposite the Thai town of Ranong. Traffic between the two towns, across the Kraburi (Pak Chan) River, is usually heavy, as many locals work in Ranong or do business there. “The shore is completely quiet now. Usually, we see between 400 and 500 people crossing the border daily. But now that young people can’t leave, both the locals and the traders are out of work,” said a local resident. Many Kawthaung residents have blue border passes valid for two years, allowing them to travel to and from Thailand. Non-residents receive green border passes, valid for seven days. Passport holders can also cross the Kawthaung border checkpoint, which is one of four official entry points into Thailand from Myanmar. The new travel ban in Kawthaung is seen as the latest measure by the junta to prevent young people from leaving the country to avoid military service. Earlier this year, the regime began enforcing a previously dormant conscription law to address heavy battlefield losses and low recruitment. Under the People’s Military Service Law, men aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 to 27 are required to serve three to five years in the military. Since the law was enacted in February, approximately 25,000 new recruits have completed their training. On August 15, the junta began barring holders of PV (visitor) passports, issued for tourism, from departing through airports and border checkpoints. This followed the regime’s decision in May to ban conscription-age men from going abroad for work.

Young men no longer allowed to leave southern Myanmar town to enter Thailand

The new border restrictions in Kawthaung are the latest move by the regime aimed at preventing conscription-age men from leaving the country

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