Two new recruits who were forcibly conscripted into the military council’s forces have defected to the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA). One of them, Nay Lin Oo, was initially captured as a porter by military patrol in Pyay Township, Bago Region, while the other, Naung Phyo Wai, was forcibly recruited through a draft lottery in Pyawbwe Township, Mandalay Region. Both were serving under the Aung Zeya Column of Infantry Battalion 117, which operates under Military Division 55, before their escape.
Nay Lin Oo was captured while drinking alcohol in Pyay Township when he encountered a military patrol. He was first taken to Battalion 306 and then transferred to Recruitment Center 3 in Bago Region. After spending 17 days at the recruitment center, he was sent to Strategic Command 4 in Pinlaung for five months of training. Following his training, he was assigned to the Aung Zeya Column. He explained that his decision to defect was driven by his unwillingness to bear arms and his disapproval of the military council’s actions. He managed to escape and sought refuge with the KNLA.
Naung Phyo Wai’s story reveals another method of forced recruitment by the military council. He was living in Ward 9 of Pyawbwe Township when he was told he had been selected through a draft lottery for military service. He was sent to Recruitment Unit 417 and then to a training camp. Under the pretext of security duties, he was subsequently assigned to the Aung Zeya Column. He stated that he could not accept the military council’s practices and their style of administration, which led to his decision to escape and seek protection with the KNLA. Both cases highlight the military council’s ongoing practice of forced recruitment and the growing number of soldiers choosing to defect rather than serve in the military council’s forces.
