Four soldiers who were forcibly recruited by the military council while returning from work in Naypyidaw, Sagaing Region, and Chin State have defected to Battalion 6 in Minbu District, according to a battalion official. The soldiers escaped from Strategic Command Post 14 in Ngape Township on September 4th without weapons. All four were from Training Batch 12, though they had received their training at different locations across the country.
According to the defectors’ accounts, they were forcibly recruited by the military council while working in their respective hometowns. After recruitment, they were sent to various military training schools. Upon completion of training, they were assigned to Infantry Battalion 113 under Division 99 based in Meiktila. They were subsequently transferred to Strategic Command Post 14 in Ngape Township. The soldiers explained that they were civilians who had been coerced into military service through the military council’s forced recruitment practices, commonly known as porter recruitment.
An official from Battalion 6 in Minbu District confirmed that they will assist the defected soldiers in reuniting with their families. The battalion has also announced that other military council soldiers wishing to defect can contact them directly, assuring full security guarantees and assistance in reconnecting with their families. The battalion advised young people who have been forcibly recruited by the military council to contact revolutionary organizations if they wish to escape, and to study the local geographical conditions beforehand to ensure a successful escape. The statement emphasized that proper knowledge of the terrain significantly increases the chances of successful defection and that the revolutionary forces stand ready to assist those seeking to escape from forced military service under the military council.
