For the first time in Burma’s history, the Ministry of Defense is inviting women to join the army. An advertisement in the Myanmar Ahlin newspaper says the new cadets must be single, at least 5 feet, 3
inches tall, between 25 and 30 years of age, and weigh no more than 130 pounds. Though they won’t be called on to fight, the ad said successful candidates would be offered commissioned posts, starting as
second lieutenants. Burma’s army once enjoyed widespread popularity for fighting for independence from British colonial rule, but support plummeted following military coups in 1962 and 1988. In the past, women could be army nurses, but that was it. —AP
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