The junta in Myanmar is now forcibly conscripting men into its army. Rebel forces are losing ground. This is a dangerous escalation.
Word from inside the Foreign Office is that UK aid to Myanmar, currently worth millions, is under review. No one in Whitehall wants to be seen funding a military that is committing human rights abuses. But cutting aid is a blunt instrument. It hurts civilians, not generals.
The junta's desperation is telling. It is losing control of territory. But it still has the guns. And now it is grabbing any man it can find. This is not a sign of strength. It is a sign of panic.
Labour MPs are already asking questions. They want the government to take a tougher line. The Foreign Secretary is caught between moral outrage and realpolitik. The usual story.
Expect a statement from Downing Street within 48 hours. My sources say the aid budget for Myanmar will be frozen. But don't hold your breath for sanctions that actually bite.
The game in Southeast Asia is a nasty one. China is watching. The UK wants influence but has little leverage. This is a crisis that will test the government's foreign policy mettle.
For now, the junta is winning the war on the ground but losing the peace. And thousands of young men are being forced to fight in a lost cause.
