National military training are forced in Burma

DVB ( July31,2003 )

Now all family members of police and fire fighters in Burma are required to receive military training after the SPDC has decided that Defence Against Foreign Aggression and Militia Day will be on the 21st July every year.

In the past, those training were only restricted to citizens outside the capital.

Fending off foreign invasions with guerrilla warfare was the official explanation. But many people found that unconvincing.

“We don’t think that anyone would be interested to invade our country from another country. If they want to take action on Burma, they will use other methods,” a civilian in Sagaing told DVB.

A political analyst from central Burma also said those training was actually “unnecessary threat against the people of Burma.”

Despite people’s unwillingness to join the courses, they participated out of fear. A policeman’s wife in Magwe Division told DVB that she did it in order to secure her husband’s jobs.

“We are doing what we are doing because we are afraid,” said she.

People with bad health condition are required to show medical proof. Those without medical certificate would be punished. But the form of punishment was unclear.

But few people sympathised those who participated. “Departmental civil servants are their people. They are taking the government’s money. They have to do what they are told whether they like it or not, I presume,”

Those who were not involved in any training were also forced to support the government’s decision. In Shan State, the authorities collected money from local people in a quota system to cover the training courses.