Regime media denied reports on Tuesday that the military is preparing for women to be conscripted in an upcoming batch of new military conscripts.

According to sources in the military who spoke to DVB on the condition of anonymity, regime Defence Minister Tin Aung San instructed all regional military commands to begin to include the names of women, when household lists are compiled, for the incoming fifth batch of conscripts into the military.

“Female conscription will begin in July right after the fourth batch of male conscripts [this month]. The name lists will be compiled after the regional recruitment team has a meeting with the district and township administrators,” added the source.

The military conscription law was activated on Feb. 10. It states that women aged 18 to 27 must serve at least two years in the military. Women aged up to 35 could also be conscripted as experts in certain fields. Since April, at least 5,000 male conscripts have been trained at 19 military facilities located across the country.