Two new soldiers from Infantry Battalion 361, stationed in Taze town of Sagaing Region, have defected to the people’s forces with two weapons, according to an official from Strategy 52 People’s Defence Force. The soldiers arrived at the Strategy 52 forward command post on May 12, bringing with them one MA-2 and one MA-3 rifle along with ammunition. The defecting soldiers were initially forced to serve as porters by the military council forces before being conscripted into military training.
The two soldiers were from Training Batch 7 and decided to risk their lives to escape due to abuse and mistreatment by senior officers within their unit. The People’s Defence Force has awarded each defector 5 million kyats and provided them with secure accommodation and meals. Due to security concerns for their families, the officials cannot disclose the soldiers’ original locations or personal information.
Strategy 52 People’s Defence Force has announced that they will warmly welcome any soldiers who wish to leave the military council’s forces. They have committed to providing security, accommodation, food, and other necessary support to those who want to join the people’s side. The organization also encourages remaining soldiers within the military council’s forces to defect to the people’s side as soon as possible.
The defecting soldiers brought complete sets of ammunition with their weapons, demonstrating their commitment to joining the resistance forces. The People’s Defence Force has emphasized that they will continue to support and protect those who choose to leave the military council’s forces and join the democratic movement. This incident represents another blow to the military council’s forces, which have been experiencing increasing defections as more soldiers become disillusioned with the regime’s oppressive practices and violence against civilians.
