Two soldiers from Infantry Battalion 224 of the military council have defected to the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) with their weapons during a battle near Theinkone village in Tanintharyi Township, Tanintharyi Region. According to the Battalion Commander of KNU Brigade 4 Battalion 11 Headquarters, the defectors – a corporal and a private – surrendered to the KNLA Battalion 11’s Cobra Special Forces during fighting near Theinkone village along the Maw Taung border trade route on May 9. The incident represents a significant development in the ongoing conflict in the region.
The defecting soldiers brought with them two MA-1 rifles, nine ammunition magazines, and 328 rounds of ammunition. In recognition of their decision to defect with their weapons, they will be awarded special honorary compensation. According to their testimonies, there are many other soldiers within the military council forces who wish to defect. The defectors revealed that the military council has been using new recruits as expendable forces in deadly combat situations, forcing them into what amounts to suicide missions. Their statements provide insight into the deteriorating conditions within the military council’s forces.
The defectors disclosed that military council troops are currently caught in an impossible tactical situation where they can neither advance nor retreat during battles. Based on these revelations, the KNU Brigade 4 Battalion 11 Headquarters Commander anticipates that more soldiers may defect in the coming period. Current reports indicate that the military council forces are suffering significant casualties in ongoing battles while simultaneously attempting to forcibly recruit new soldiers to maintain their fighting capacity. The situation highlights the growing crisis within the military council’s ranks and their increasingly desperate measures to maintain control through forced recruitment and oppressive tactics against their own troops.
