The Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) Central Headquarters has announced that Maung Ye Lin, a young man from Myinmakan village in Thongwa Township, Yangon Region, who was forcibly recruited into military service after being seized as a porter while returning from work at a rice mill, has defected to their forces. After his capture, he was taken to a recruitment center and inducted into military service, then assigned to the Aung Zeya Column, Infantry Battalion 355.
According to Maung Ye Lin’s testimony, new recruits in the military face severe restrictions, including being denied contact with their families and enduring various forms of abuse. He described a strict environment where soldiers must follow officers’ orders without question and have no personal freedom, operating under a system he characterized as ‘do as ordered, eat what’s given.’ He explained that his decision to defect was driven by his desire to reunite with his parents and his fear of combat, having no prior military experience.
Maung Ye Lin revealed that while the military junta spreads propaganda claiming that revolutionary forces will kill defectors, his personal experience proved quite different. He found that the revolutionary forces warmly welcomed defectors like brothers and sisters. Based on this experience, he strongly encourages other soldiers still serving in the military to follow his path and defect. He emphasized that the military’s claims about the treatment of defectors are false, and that those who choose to defect will find safety and acceptance among the revolutionary forces.
The military council’s attempts to establish control over Myawaddy city and the Asia Highway through their national-level Aung Zeya Column have proven unsuccessful over time. According to testimonies from defected soldiers, the military’s objectives have not been achieved, and instead, they continue to face increasing casualties, desertions, and defections. This pattern of failures highlights the growing challenges faced by the military council in maintaining control over its forces and territory, while more soldiers choose to abandon their posts and seek refuge with revolutionary forces.
