Eight military service members stationed at Nathankin Camp and Kwin Chaung Wa Strategic Camp in Kyaukkyi Township, Bago Region, have defected to the people’s side without weapons, according to an official from Bago District Battalion 2 (P23702). The defection occurred on August 12, 2023, involving two soldiers from training batch 9 and six soldiers from training batch 5. They surrendered to Bago District Battalion 2 under the People’s Defense Force’s Strategic Command 25 of Operation Area 2.
Among the defectors, two had completed people’s militia training batch 9 at Infantry Battalion 60 (Kyaukkyi), while the other six had completed people’s militia training batch 5 at Infantry Battalion 593 based in Kawthaung in the coastal region. The battalion official revealed the conditions within the military council forces, describing how people’s militia members are being used as human shields, forced to fight on the frontlines, abandoned when wounded, and how their salaries are misappropriated when they are killed in action without reporting to higher authorities.
Furthermore, the military council shows no trust in the people’s militia, restricting them from carrying weapons even during daytime and prohibiting mobile phone usage. Due to these oppressive conditions, the official urged remaining people’s militia members to establish contact with nearby PDF forces and defect with their weapons. Currently, the eight defected soldiers are being processed according to established procedures by the People’s Defense Force and are being treated with full human rights protections.
