The Tatmadaw — the name traditionally given to the military of Myanmar which has ruled the country intermittently since independence - has long used "forced recruitment" of citizens without formal conscription laws.
[2] On November 4, 2010, the State Peace and Development Council military regime enacted a formalized conscription law, which elicited extremely negative reactions from the public.
[2] In 2021, the Tatmadaw staged a coup d'etat, and established a new military junta known as the State Administration Council, leading to an escalation of Myanmar's long-running internal conflicts into a civil war.
Over the following few years, the Tatmadaw suffered numerous military setbacks at the hands of anti-junta insurgent forces, losing control over vast areas of the country.
Tatmadaw spokesman Zaw Min Tun said that around a fourth of Myanmar's population would be eligible under the law, which was planned to come into effect after the Burmese New Year in mid-April 2024.