A police officer named Yan Naing Lin from Hlaingbwe Town Police Station in Karen State has defected to the People’s Defense Force – Myeik District Battalion 3 on July 4. The police officer defected without bringing any weapons, and he had previously trained at No. 2 Basic Police Training School in Pyay’s Wethtikan, as part of Battalion 292. He had served as a police officer for 11 years at the Hlaingbwe Town Police Station. Unable to accept the military council’s violent actions, he fled to his parents’ location in Tanintharyi Township in March.
The defector is originally from Kyunsu, and his parents currently reside in a village in the Tanintharyi region. A representative from the People’s Defense Force – Myeik District Battalion 3 stated that the defector has been awarded an honorary monetary reward according to their policy, and is being carefully vetted and well-protected for security reasons. The representative also mentioned that they continue to welcome anyone else who wishes to defect from the military council’s forces.
Additionally, on July 1 afternoon, a soldier from the military council’s Infantry Battalion 265 based in Myeik Township defected to KNU/KNLA Brigade 4, Battalion 11, bringing with him one MA1 rifle, 200 rounds of ammunition, and three ammunition magazines. Earlier, on June 21, two military council soldiers in Myeik District defected to the KNDO, bringing one MA3 rifle, four ammunition magazines, and 120 rounds of ammunition. These two defectors were also awarded honorary monetary rewards, according to an announcement from the KNU Myeik-Dawei District.
