A newly recruited soldier who was forcibly conscripted by the military council in Taunggyi, Shan State, has defected to the Pa-O National Liberation Army (PNLA) with a firearm. According to a PNLA official, the soldier was initially captured through forced porter service by military council troops in Taunggyi on April 7. Unable to endure the torture and abuse inflicted by military council soldiers, he made the decision to escape with a weapon and seek refuge with the PNLA.
After his initial capture, the military council transferred him to the PNO People’s Militia Force, where he was required to undergo military training before being deployed to the frontlines alongside military council troops. The PNLA official detailed that the soldier had received military training in Pinlaung and had served within the PNO militia for over a year. During his service under the command of PNO People’s Militia Force Deputy Commander Nay Win Tun, he experienced severe mistreatment and abuse at the hands of military council forces.
The PNLA has since facilitated the soldier’s safe passage to a secure location. This incident serves as yet another example of the military council’s ongoing practice of forced conscription and human rights violations against civilians. The defector’s testimony provides firsthand evidence of the systematic abuse and coercion employed by the military council and its affiliated forces, highlighting the continued oppression faced by civilians who are forcibly recruited into military service. The PNLA official confirmed that the organization has taken measures to ensure the defector’s safety and security following his escape from the military council’s control.
