By Min Ni Kyaw - Jul 03, 2024

According to passport service providers and agencies, both men and women are going abroad to work because of the military service law.

There are people who went legally abroad to work, and there are also people who did illegally. In addition, wealthy people are increasingly going to study abroad.

“Parents from remote regions found rare to send their daughters to study at foreign land. They mostly send their sons only if they have relatives there. But for now people between 18 and 27 are going to abroad,” said a passport service provider.

In the military service law enacted by the junta, not only men between the ages of 18 and 35, but also women between the ages of 18 and 27 are set to serve in the military in the batch 5.

Currently, some townships, including Yangon, are conducting data of women who meet the age limit for military service.

“The warden told who are selected and their families are sorrowing. Some are also going to abroad. They aren’t dare to live here anymore,” said a resident from Hlaing Thar Yar.

In addition, the Ministry of Labor restricted men between the ages of 23 and 31 to go abroad to work and there are concerns that the restriction will be applied on the women soon.

“It is becoming difficult for men to go abroad because of the age restrictions, but women can still go. Therefore, there are more and more people going abroad when they can still leave. Some young couples, the husband restricted by the age limit, so the wife went legally, and the man illegally,” said an official from an agency.

According to local entrepreneurs of the businesses that use female workers, including the domestic garment industry, they are facing are facing a shortage of skilled workers as more and more women are working abroad.