Military Burma
Military branches:
Myanmar Armed Forces (Tatmadaw): Army, Navy, Air Force (2005)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service for both sexes (May
2002)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 11,254,374
females age 18-49: 11,303,100 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 6,512,923
females age 18-49: 6,789,720 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males: 440,914
females: 427,382 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$39 million (FY97)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
2.1% (FY97)
Transnational Issues Burma
Disputes - international:
over half of Burma's population consists of diverse ethnic groups
with substantial numbers of kin beyond its borders; despite
continuing border committee talks, significant differences remain
with Thailand over boundary alignment and the handling of ethnic
rebels, refugees, and illegal cross-border activities; ethnic Karens
flee into Thailand to escape fighting between Karen rebels and
Burmese troops, in 2004 Thailand sheltered about 118,000 Burmese
refugees; Karens also protest Thai support for a Burmese
hydroelectric dam on the Salween River near the border;
environmentalists in Burma and Thailand continue to voice concern
over China's construction of hydroelectric dams upstream on the
Nujiang/Salween River in Yunnan Province; India seeks cooperation
from Burma to keep Indian Nagaland separatists from hiding in remote
Burmese uplands