‘Almost a total brain drain’: Myanmar conscription law could cast long shadow as tens of thousands flee

News Snapshot:

Open this photo in gallery: To avoid conscription, David Htoo journeyed through the jungles of Myanmar, paying bribes at checkpoints along the way, before reaching a displaced persons camp where he shared his story with The Globe.Photography by James Griffiths/The Globe and Mail At the first checkpoint, David Htoo’s blood ran cold. His heart thumping in his chest, he was sure he was about to be arrested. By the fifth, he had the process down to a routine. The soldiers would waive down Mr. Htoo’s vehicle, full of young men like him fleeing Myanmar’s new conscription law, and demand to...