Nearly 70 young Thai men sat on flimsy plastic chairs, faces tense as they waited to draw their fate from a jar -- an annual ritual deciding whether they will serve in the military.

The conscription lottery, held across Thailand each April, has taken on added weight this year following several rounds of border clashes with Cambodia that killed dozens of soldiers and civilians on both sides.

Originally published on doc.afp.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.

Tags

Recommended for you