Two soldiers from Infantry Battalion 224 of the military council have defected to the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) with their weapons during a battle near Theinkone village in Tanintharyi Township, Tanintharyi Region. According to the Battalion Commander of KNU Brigade 4 Battalion 11 Headquarters, the defectors included a corporal and a private who surrendered to the KNLA Battalion 11’s Cobra Column Special Force during fighting near Theinkone village along the Maw Taung border trade route on May 9.
The defecting soldiers brought with them two MA-1 rifles, nine ammunition magazines, and 328 rounds of ammunition. As a result, they will be awarded special recognition payments for their defection with weapons. According to their testimonies, there are many more soldiers within the military council forces who wish to defect. They revealed that the military council has been using new recruits as expendable forces in battles, essentially sending them on suicide missions. The defectors also disclosed that military council troops are often caught in impossible tactical situations where they can neither advance nor retreat.
Based on the statements from the defectors, the KNU Brigade 4 Battalion 11 Headquarters Commander assessed that more defections are likely to occur in the near future, given the current situation where military council troops are trapped between advancing and retreating positions. Reports indicate that the military council forces are suffering significant casualties in battles and facing increasing difficulties in recruiting new soldiers. The defectors’ testimonies provide insight into the deteriorating conditions within the military council’s forces, where soldiers are being forced into combat situations with no viable tactical options for survival.
