Two new military recruits from Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 285 based in Palaw town, Tanintharyi Region, have deserted during combat and surrendered to the People’s Defense Force (PDF). According to a responsible person from the Tanintharyi Township People’s Defense Force, the two soldiers escaped during the battle at Theinkun village on February 12th and made contact with the PDF to surrender. Of the two new recruits, one had received military training in Kwin Kauk town in Thabaung Township, while the other underwent training in Kyaingtong Township, Shan State. Both were graduates of the first batch of military training.
After completing their training, both soldiers were directly assigned to LIB 285 based in Palaw town. The two defectors arrived without weapons, with one originating from Shan State and the other from Hinthada. According to a PDF official, the soldier from Shan State was conscripted through a lottery system, while the one from Hinthada was forcibly taken as a porter while returning from work. Neither received any honorary compensation upon their surrender. The military council had immediately deployed them to LIB 285 in Palaw town upon completion of their training.
Currently, one of the surrendered soldiers has expressed his intention to join the revolutionary forces in fighting against the military council. Both are being safely sheltered and well-cared for in a secure location. Revolutionary forces assess that these defections reflect declining morale within the military council’s forces and growing awareness of the true situation among new recruits. The defectors’ testimonies provide insight into the military council’s forced recruitment practices and the conditions that lead soldiers to desert their posts and join the resistance movement.
