In Myanmar, young people are fleeing the country or hastily arranging shotgun weddings to avoid conscription

News Snapshot:

Three years after the military junta seized control of Myanmar, the shock waves of that fateful day are still being felt throughout the region. In mid-February, the group announced it would invoke a decade-old law to start drafting young men and women into the army. The decision set off widespread alarm across all corners of the country, particularly among those who could soon be called up. From this month, about 5,000 people will be enrolled in the military as part of a monthly quota to perform "national defence duties", a spokesperson said. As many as 40,000 men and women could...