According to a statement from the Karenni National Defense Force (KNDF) Central Information and Communication Department, two newly conscripted soldiers who were forcibly recruited under the military council’s Public Military Service Law have defected to KNDF with their weapons. The two soldiers from Infantry Battalion 9 escaped while deployed at the frontline in Demoso Township. The incident highlights the ongoing issue of forced military recruitment by the military council in Myanmar.
The defecting soldiers had attended the 7th batch of military training and were subsequently assigned to Infantry Battalion 9. They brought with them one MA-1 rifle and one MA-2 rifle when they sought refuge with KNDF forces through the battlefront in Karenni State. Reports indicate that the military council has been intensifying its forced recruitment of civilians for military service. The soldiers’ decision to defect demonstrates the growing resistance against the military council’s forced conscription practices.
KNDF has issued warnings to civilians to remain vigilant against the military council’s forced recruitment efforts and has informed them that they can contact nearby revolutionary organizations if they wish to defect. The military council has been forcibly recruiting men between the ages of 18 and 35 for military service to bolster their forces, employing tactics such as arrests and threats against those who refuse to comply. This recent defection represents a significant blow to the military council’s efforts to maintain control through forced conscription and highlights the ongoing resistance against their oppressive policies.
