A total of 108 Junta soldiers have defected from the coup regime and joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) established by the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF), according to Ko Yone Lay, head of the military defections department .
Since its establishment on May 31st, 2022, this CDM Department has witnessed a notable growth in its membership. Initially, only 7 soldiers chose to join CDM and sought refuge with the department. However over time, the number of troops seeking sanctuary has steadily increased. To persuade more soldiers to defect, the department has implemented reward programs that offer incentives to those who bring weapons and defect.
"The number of soldiers who have joined us since the establishment of the department on May 31st of last year, has been steadily increasing. We observed the highest influx of CDM soldiers in September and October 2022 , as well as in February of this year”, Ko Yone Lay remarked.
The majority of soldiers who made the decision to join CDM and surrendered to KNDF were affiliated with the 66th Division of the Military Council. These soldiers seized opportunities during operations to escape and subsequently joined the CDM Department.
For approximately seven months now, the Karenni State Consultative Council (KSCC) has been providing monthly support of 70,000 Kyats to the CDM soldiers, according to Ko Yone Lay.
To counteract the indoctrination imposed by the Military Council, CDM soldiers have undergone comprehensive ideological training. As a direct outcome of these training sessions, a significant number of CDM soldiers have gained a deep understanding and embraced the truth, Ko Yone Lay added.
“We enlightened them to see how the Military Council had deceived them the whole time. With clear-cut evidence, we expose the Tatmadaw's hypocritical assertions of safeguarding Myanmar and its people, demonstrating that their claims stand in stark contrast to the harsh realities on the ground”, he said.
He expressed his strong commitment that the KNDF would wholeheartedly embrace and welcome soldiers who desire to join CDM at any given moment. Furthermore, he urged the troops under the Military Council to demonstrate their solidarity with the people throughout the revolution and make the courageous choice to defect.
Operating in alignment with the principles set forth by the KNDF, the CDM Department diligently supports soldiers on the battlefield, conducts ideology training courses, and facilitates the development of income-generating opportunities for CDM personnel.
"The coup generals have prioritized their own interests, monopolizing power and seizing control. They manipulate subordinate soldiers as mere pawns to carry out their unethical and reprehensible acts. Their policies include brutal methods such as oppressing and killing innocent people, and burning their property. CDM soldiers have unequivocally expressed their refusal to participate in such crimes. Therefore, it is imperative that every soldier under the Military Council follows suit. Only by defying every order issued by the Military Council, can our revolution truly flourish as an all-encompassing movement”, Khun Bedu, the chairman of KNDF said.
The likelihood of achieving the acceleration of the revolution and the restoration of democracy and human rights, as desired by the people, will increase significantly if the soldiers under the Military Council display courage in defying the coup generals, he also suggested.
