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. The battalion commander of KNU Brigade 4 Battalion 11 Headquarters confirmed that the defection occurred during ongoing clashes near the village, which is located along the Maw Taung border trade route. The incident took place on May 9th, marking a significant development in the ongoing conflict in the region.
The defecting soldiers, comprising one corporal and one private from Infantry Battalion 224 based in Bokpyin, surrendered to the Cobra Column Special Task Force under KNLA Battalion 11. They brought with them two MA-1 rifles, nine ammunition magazines, and 328 rounds of ammunition. In recognition of their defection with weapons, they will be awarded special honorary compensation. This defection represents a continuing trend of military council soldiers choosing to abandon their posts and join the resistance forces.
According to the statements made by the defecting soldiers, there is widespread desire among many military council troops to desert their posts. The military council has been forcing new recruits into what amounts to suicide missions, with soldiers finding themselves in impossible tactical situations where they can neither advance nor retreat. The KNU Brigade 4 Battalion 11 Headquarters commander assessed that these conditions are likely to lead to increased defections in the near future, as more soldiers seek to escape the increasingly desperate situation within the military council’s forces. The defectors’ testimony provides insight into the deteriorating morale and conditions within the military council’s ranks, where soldiers are essentially being used as expendable assets in unwinnable battles.
