Two soldiers from the military council’s Infantry Battalion 224 have defected to the Karen National Union (KNU) Brigade 4 Battalion 11 during a battle near Theinkone village in Tanintharyi Township, Tanintharyi Region. The defection occurred on May 9 during ongoing clashes near Theinkone village along the Maw Taung border trade route. The defectors, comprising a corporal and a private from Infantry Battalion 224 based in Bokpyin, brought their weapons with them when they surrendered to the KNLA Battalion 11’s Special Cobra Column.
The defecting soldiers brought with them two MA-1 rifles, nine ammunition magazines, and 328 rounds of ammunition, as confirmed by the KNU Brigade 4 Battalion 11 headquarters commander. As a result of their defection with weapons, they will be awarded special recognition payments. According to the statements from the defectors, there are many more soldiers within the military council forces who wish to escape, and the commander noted that the military council is forcing new recruits into what amounts to suicide missions.
Based on the testimonies of the defectors, military council troops are caught in an impossible situation where they can neither advance nor retreat during battles. The KNU Brigade 4 Battalion 11 headquarters commander assessed that this situation is likely to lead to more defections from military council forces in the near future. This instance of defection reflects the deteriorating morale within the military council’s forces and demonstrates the growing internal challenges faced by the military council in maintaining its troops’ loyalty and effectiveness in combat situations.
