Myanmar's state-run media says the country's military has started calling up new recruits.

The military announced in February that it would start conscripting citizens aged 18 and older, starting in mid-April.

The military, which has controlled the country since a 2021 coup, is facing a shortage of soldiers as it tries to contain an uprising by pro-democracy forces and ethnic armed organizations.

The state-run broadcaster reported on Friday that 184 young people who had voluntarily applied for military service were called up to register in the capital Naypyitaw.

No official announcement has been made about when the planned conscription would start.
During a military parade on Wednesday, a spokesperson said the first group of recruits would be chosen from among volunteers.

Independent local media criticized military officers for conducting home visits to forcibly recruit young people in the country's largest city of Yangon and elsewhere.

Since the conscription announcement, Myanmar youths have fled to neighboring Thailand, or joined pro-democracy forces.

Analysts say the junta may have carried out the conscription plan earlier than initially scheduled.