A military serviceman from the terrorist military council has defected to the People’s Defense Force (PDF) Battalion 1 in Dawei District, Tanintharyi Region, bringing weapons and ammunition with him, according to a responsible official from PDF Dawei District Battalion 1. The new military serviceman defected on June 7, 2023, bringing with him one MA-1 rifle, 6 magazines, 150 rounds of ammunition, and one 14mm mine when he contacted and joined PDF Battalion 1 in Dawei District.
The PDF Dawei District Battalion 1 awarded the defecting serviceman with 5 million kyats (50 lakhs) for his defection. Due to the military council’s forces’ illegal arrests and forced conscription of local civilians as military personnel and porters, the battalion has announced that any forcibly recruited servicemen who wish to defect to the PDF can contact Dawei District Battalion 1.
Due to the military council’s oppression, there has been a continuous stream of defections from soldiers, police officers, and other service members to the PDF and revolutionary forces. Local observers note that such defections with weapons and ammunition represent significant blows to the military council’s forces. This latest defection demonstrates the ongoing internal challenges faced by the military council as more of its forced recruits choose to join the resistance movement rather than serve under the oppressive regime.
