Conscription fears leave Mandalay staff scarce

The Irrawaddy

Factories, workshops and service industries across Mandalay are facing severe labour shortages as Myanmar’s military targets draft‑age men on their way to and from work. Employers warn that the crisis could force closures, while residents describe a climate of fear and abductions.

Industrial zones, hotels, restaurants and teashops are struggling to fill vacancies. Recruiters say families are refusing to send sons to the city, even with higher wages on offer. “Previously, when employers needed 10 workers, we could usually find them within two weeks. Now it’s almost impossible,” one recruiter explained.

Since the junta revived its conscription law in February 2024, thousands of young men have fled Mandalay for other towns or abroad. Those who remain commute anxiously, often avoiding checkpoints where soldiers, police and militias are accused of snatching youths.

Reports suggest abductions frequently degenerate into kidnappings for ransom, with families forced to pay millions of kyats for release. Others must pay monthly fees to ward administrators to avoid conscription, money used to hire substitutes to meet quotas.

Business owners say the impact is devastating. “If this continues, factories may have to shut down,” warned one entrepreneur. A foundry manager added: “There is a fine line between conscription and kidnapping now. Those from outside the city are at greater risk, so we sometimes send them home early.”

Service industries are equally affected. Beer stations that once employed 30 staff now operate with half that number, mostly women. “We are struggling to retain workers. Many have fled to places they think are safer. Male employees dare not stay,” said one manager.

The issue reached Mandalay’s regional parliament in August, when lawmaker Ko Ko Htwe warned that the practice amounted to human trafficking. Authorities offered no solution.

According to the Mandalay Strike Force, nearly 100 youths from seven townships were unlawfully detained under the conscription law in August alone. Nationwide, the regime is believed to have drafted around 140,000 recruits in 28 batches of 5,000 each.

Observers caution that the labour crisis could drag down Myanmar’s already fragile economy. The IMF estimates GDP at US$83.83 billion for 2026, but industries reliant on manpower, such as footwear and garment factories, are unable to expand. Activists fear that if women are also conscripted, shortages will worsen dramatically.

For Mandalay’s businesses, the outlook is bleak. With workers disappearing and fear spreading, the city’s economic engine is grinding to a halt under the weight of forced conscription.

-2026-09-08