Some administrative staff under Junta control in Hpa-An Township, Karen State, were added to the conscription list by department heads without prior notification, prompting staff to flee or resign once the issue was exposed.
In April the Junta instructed Karen State government ministries to select individuals from civil servants under their authority for military training and service, following which certain department heads submitted chosen staff names for conscription without informing the respective individuals.
"We recently learned that the lists were sent to Naypyidaw in April. Department heads made selections without informing their subordinates. When chosen staff were told about mandatory military training, they reacted with anger. Some resigned, others quietly left with their families from staff housing, and now they no longer come to their offices”, sources from Hpa-An told KIC.
"Clashes continue across all Karen State townships except Hpa-An and Hlaingbwe. Despite the ongoing risks, departmental staff are cautiously fulfilling their duties. However, they are finding it increasingly difficult to cope. Both Junta employees and veterans are being summoned into military service, confronting the harsh reality of frontline deployment amid the Junta's widespread setbacks”, a Hpa-An resident remarked.
Department heads offered incentives to employees selected for conscription, promising them additional salary during military service alongside their current pay, and assuring them of favorable treatment and consideration for promotion upon their return to their original department.
Out of seven townships in Karen State, Hpapun has been captured by the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and allied forces, while the Junta has also lost control of Kyaikdon Sub-township, a part of Kyainseikgyi Township.
KNLA-led joint forces also keep attacking Junta bases and outposts in Myawaddy, Kawkareik, and Thandaung townships. The military tension remains high in Kyainseikgyi Township, particularly in Kyaikdon Sub-township and Payathonzu (Three Pagodas Pass).
The Karen State government under the Junta has urged Kawkareik resident staff, who temporarily fled during the fighting, to return to their offices. However, according to sources close to the staff community, many individuals have chosen not to return to work and forgo their salaries, some have cut contact with their work departments, and others have even submitted resignation letters.
