Two military council soldiers have defected to the people’s side with weapons and ammunition in Shwebo and Thandaunggyi townships. According to a responsible official from the People’s Defence Force Shwebo District, a people’s militia member from Pyusawthi Village in Zeebyugon, Shwebo Township, defected to Battalion 4 of Shwebo District on April 1st. The defector brought with him one G3 rifle, three ammunition magazines, 66 rounds of ammunition, and two hand grenades. The official confirmed that the defector was appropriately rewarded for bringing these weapons and ammunition when joining the people’s side.
The People’s Defence Force Shwebo District official urged other military council soldiers to defect to the people’s side as soon as possible, noting that the military council’s strength is diminishing day by day. He emphasized that those who are being forced into military service under the military council’s conscription orders, as well as any military council soldiers who wish to stand with the people, can contact them at any time to seek refuge with the public. The military council has been increasingly using forced recruitment methods and intensifying its oppression of civilians. The official stressed that the door remains open for those who want to escape the military council’s oppressive system and join the people’s resistance movement.
Similarly, in Thandaunggyi Township, Karen State, a soldier from Infantry Battalion 592 defected to KNLA Brigade 2’s Battalion 5 on April 8th with weapons and ammunition. The defecting soldier brought with him one MA1 rifle, 150 rounds of ammunition, one set of body armor, and four ammunition magazines. This pattern of military council soldiers defecting with weapons and ammunition reflects the weakening of the military council’s forces and demonstrates the growing strength of the people’s revolution, according to resistance forces’ analysis. These defections are seen as significant indicators of the declining morale within the military council’s ranks and the increasing momentum of the public resistance movement against the military dictatorship.
