Three Mon State resistance forces have issued a joint statement warning people not to join the People's Security and Counter-Terrorism militias being set up by the junta throughout the country
The 2 September 2024 joint statement was issued by The Mon State Federal Council's Department of Defense (MSFC-DoD), the Mon State Revolutionary Force (MSRF), and the Mon State Defense Force (MSDF).
The junta is recruiting men aged 35 to 65 to serve in armed local militias at regional, district, township, ward and village levels, and in the capital Naypyidaw. The militias will be manned by volunteers and forcibly conscripted people who will be armed and undergo military training before being assigned to security duties. Currently, recruitment is already underway for village-level militias.
In Mon State the junta has already started recruiting for militias in the Ye Township villages of Taungbon and Thaungpyin and various other areas in Mon State.
The junta claims that people recruited to serve in the militias will only be assigned to community security and will not be sent to the frontlines. But Nai Din Pa La Han Thar, an MSFC-DoD official, warned people not to volunteer for the militias because there is a high chance that the junta will not keep its word and will send militia members to the frontlines, due to a shortage of frontline troops.
He said: "Throughout its history, the junta has never acted in the interest of the people. The formation of these teams is solely to protect the junta’s own interests. Most men over 35 are heads of households with families to support. Although the junta claims these recruits will only serve in guard and logistics roles, there’s no guarantee they won’t be sent to the frontlines if the junta’s troops weaken. We urge people to avoid recruitment if approached and to seek help from the resistance forces if needed.”
The Mon resistance forces said that anyone who volunteers to serve with the militias will be considered a traitor and will have action taken against them. They have also called on the public to report any militia volunteers to them.
Nai Din Pa La Han Thar said: “We must halt any actions that prolong the junta's existence. As a first step, we will issue warnings to those who willingly assist the junta in forming these teams. If they do not comply, we will arrest them and take appropriate action. For individuals in areas beyond our reach, we will seek assistance from allied resistance forces in those regions and implement a coordinated plan of action.”
Many younger people from Mon State already conscripted, either voluntarily or forcibly, into the regular army were sent to the frontlines and killed. Now Mon State residents worry that middle-aged men recruited into the militias will also end up being sent to the frontlines, despite them being older than those being conscripted into the regular army.
