A military defector named Min Khant from the frontline outpost has revealed that the Arakan Army (AA) captured the military council’s Four Houses Camp, located on the Pantaung-Taungup road between Bago Region and Rakhine State, with a force of 1,500 troops. His testimony was released by the Student Armed Forces (SAF) on April 24.
According to Min Khant, during the battle in February 2025, out of more than 50 troops stationed at the Four Houses Camp, only about 20 managed to escape. The AA launched their attack around 10 PM, and the military forces had to retreat due to their inability to resist the offensive. Local sources and military news sources confirmed that the AA and allied forces completely captured the Four Houses Camp on February 15.
Min Khant, who is from Thanlyin Township in Yangon Region, was forcibly conscripted when military council troops came to his home. He was assigned to serve in Strategic Operations Command 10 and Infantry Battalion 365 (Mawlaik). Speaking about conditions within the military, he revealed that most soldiers are forced to shoot against their will, enter homes they don’t want to enter, and take possessions they don’t want to take.
He disclosed that many soldiers want to defect from the military and will do so when circumstances permit, and some are even prepared to sacrifice their lives if they cannot escape. Min Khant himself escaped through a bush passage during the battle with another soldier. He explained that most soldiers are demoralized due to conditions within the military and have a strong desire to defect. The situation reflects the declining morale within the military council’s forces and the increasing number of soldiers seeking to escape from forced military service.
