Three newly conscripted soldiers from Battalions 253, 254, and 255 of the military council have defected to revolutionary forces in Salin Township, Magway Region, as confirmed by officials from the Dawn Fighter People’s Defense Force (LPDF). These new recruits were victims of forced conscription by the military council and were originally civilians who had been captured as porters from Sagaing Region and Naypyidaw areas. They surrendered to the Dawn Fighter forces on April 20 without bringing any weapons or ammunition with them.
Simultaneously, in Kanti Township of Sagaing Region, a military council soldier defected to the resistance forces, bringing with him a firearm and military ammunition. This incident occurred on April 22, when the soldier surrendered to the joint forces of the Kanti Township People’s Defense Force (Special Division) and the Naga People’s Defense Force (NPDF). After his surrender, the defector was awarded recognition money and safely transported to a liberated area under the control of revolutionary forces.
These defections demonstrate the declining morale within the military council’s forces and the growing disillusionment among soldiers, particularly those who have been forcibly conscripted. The revolutionary forces continue to provide safe haven for defecting soldiers and guarantee their security. Defectors are given the choice to either join the revolutionary forces voluntarily or live peacefully in liberated areas. These recent defections highlight the ongoing internal struggles within the military council’s ranks and the impact of their forced recruitment practices on their own personnel.
