Six new military recruits from Training Batch 12, who were forcibly conscripted from Naypyidaw and Sagaing Township, have defected to the Daung Sit Aung People’s Defense Force (PDF) on July 13. These new recruits were from Infantry Battalions 253, 254, and 255 based in Salin Township. They made contact with and defected to three allied resistance groups, including the Daung Sit Aung PDF, without being able to bring any weapons with them.
Among the defectors, two were from Lewe Township in Naypyidaw and four were from Sagaing Township. All of them were graduates of the Ba Htoo Military Training School and had been forcibly conscripted by the military council. According to a representative from Daung Sit Aung PDF, these new recruits were assigned to rear duties and therefore did not have access to weapons or ammunition. The defectors had made direct contact with three allied resistance groups, including the Daung Sit Aung Local PDF, before their defection.
The Daung Sit Aung PDF has confirmed that they are providing full security and proper care for the defected soldiers. They have also announced that they will continue to welcome any additional military personnel who wish to defect. The situation reflects the ongoing forced recruitment practices of the military council, which has led to many young people from civilian populations being coerced into military service, causing many to flee and go into hiding. The military council’s continued practice of forced conscription has created significant hardship for civilians throughout Myanmar, with many families affected by these aggressive recruitment tactics.
