The Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP) has formed a "Defector and CDM Supervision Committee" in order to properly monitor and supervise, those who have defected and joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM).

“ We are verifying to provide security for both sides. For example, if there is a credible situation that the verifications that comes from the CDM that it is a case of a genuine defection, then it is safe for them and it is also safe for us,”  Khu Taw Reh S, the team leader of the committee, told the Kantarawaddy Times.

He added that the committee was established in mid-2022, and will work systematically to prevent defectors and those who joined the CDM from returning.

After the coup and the Spring Revolution, there may be hundreds of people who have joined the CDM, but the exact number of people who joined is still unknown.

“ According to our experience, only 1 in a 100, is not a genuine CDM member, but someone planted by the Military Council. Of course must be concerned about even a tiny number slipping through our defences. If we fail carry out the verification well, and we doubt whether some people have truly defected or not, it will not be good for them. And it is also not good us either. Since this is the case, if we want to be able to carry out the necessary verification, we must do it properly from now on,” said Khu Taw Reh S.

He said that verification will be carried out to reach a standard of reliability, and provide a guarantee in terms of mutual safety. CDM policies need to be formulated and places to stay should be organized for new candidates who wish to join CDM, he said.

We know some who joined the CDM from the KNPP had served in the military, and the others were civilians. On January 30 2023, a soldier who had joined CDM and was assigned to KNDF Battalion-10, ran away with 3 weapons.

“ Don’t worry about joining CDM and then running away. We also have methods. We would like to send a message that we can verify who is a genuine CDM. If it is true, you can meet with us and testify,” said Khu Taw Reh S.

After the coup, there were soldiers who joined the CDM and took refuge in various armed forces that emerged in Karenni state. There number is already more than a hundred defectors who have joined the CDM in the Karenni People’s Embrace, a CDM department under the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF).