A new military conscript named Ko Soe Min Naing has defected to the Midland Region Guerrilla Force (MRG) with ammunition near Letyapyar Police Station in Kyaukpadaung Township, Mandalay Region. Ko Soe Min Naing was forcibly conscripted into military service by the military council and had to attend three months of military training at Ba Htoo Training Camp before being assigned to Infantry Battalion 257 in Yesagyo Township. The information was confirmed by the Information and Communication Officer of the MRG.
Five months after completing his military training, Ko Soe Min Naing contacted the revolutionary forces and defected with 113 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition and two hand grenades. According to the MRG spokesperson, three of his fellow soldiers had previously defected, and Ko Soe Min Naing made contact through their connections. Before his defection, he was forcibly taken as a porter by soldiers near Letyapyar Police Station in Kyaukpadaung Township. He was part of the 10th batch of military training recruits and served for five months after completing three months of training.
The MRG has awarded Ko Soe Min Naing with appropriate honorary compensation for his defection. While he did not bring any firearms during his defection, he contributed significant ammunition to the revolutionary forces. Revolutionary groups analyze that such defections from military conscripts indicate declining morale within the military council’s forces. The increasing number of defections from forced conscripts demonstrates the growing resistance against the military council’s oppressive conscription practices and highlights the weakening state of their military structure.
