Kantarawaddy Times
Within the past 18 days (from February 1 to February 18), 14 junta soldiers who had been forcibly conscripted defected to Battalion 3 of the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF), according to a post on the battalion commander’s Facebook page today.
The junta soldiers are being encouraged to defect through persuasive messages. Within a single day, five soldiers have switched sides, according to the commander of KNDF Battalion (3), who shared this information on his Facebook page.
“In just this February alone, 14 soldiers have defected to KNDF Battalion 3. They are from the 4th, 5th, and 6th training intakes. They made the right choice, and we are proud of them. We welcome and respect them. On the same day we posted a call for defections, five more soldiers came over. We are working to rescue them all, and they are completely safe,” he said.
Most defectors are young men who were forcibly conscripted under the junta’s military service law and sent to the frontlines.
One of the defectors shared that soldiers attempting to flee face constant threats from their commanding officers.
“They told us that if we tried to run, we would be executed. They said the weapons we were carrying would be the things that are going to kill us,” he explained.
He further explained that he defected because he no longer wanted to fight on the frontlines. It took multiple attempts before he successfully escaped.
Since the junta enforced its military conscription law, nearly 100 junta soldiers have defected to the KNDF, and the group has guaranteed full protection for all defectors.
KNDF stated that it welcomes any soldiers who no longer want to serve under the junta and offers them safety and support. The battalion also reassured potential defectors that they could contact KNDF at any time and that their security would be fully guaranteed.
