Granting amnesty to over 100 ex-servicemen previously incarcerated for various offenses in Pathein Jail in the Ayeyarwady Region, the Military Council has directed them to the Kwinkaut No. 6 training battalion with the intention of redeploying them to the frontline, as reported by those close to these individuals and their family members.
On December 7th, 107 ex-servicemen, who had been previously detained in both Pathein Jail and Hngetpauk detention center, were released and taken along by a colonel under the Military Council, as stated by a source familiar with the situation at Pathein Jail.
"Picked up by four military trucks—deserters, individuals with heavier crimes, and those nearing the end of their sentences. Word has it, all of them will be reinstated into military services”, the source told NMG.
When family members rushed to Pathein Jail to inquire about the news of the imprisoned veterans being granted parole, all they heard from the prison guards was that they had been taken away to be reinstated into the military.
"My son chose to discontinue his military service, opting for unauthorized leave. Upon capture, the Military Council labeled him a deserter, showing no mercy with a four-year prison sentence. Now, with only a month left to complete his term, he has been sent to Kwinkauk”, mother of a paroled veteran said.
In fact, as per the regulations, individuals labeled as deserters or those with a criminal record are prohibited from being reinstated in the military, a former military officer explained.
"If the intention is for deserters to rejoin military service, they could be held in military prisons. Presently, in a deterrent measure against desertion, severe sentences of four or five years are imposed. What would be the advantage of reinstating those who no longer wish to remain in the military?”, he pointed out.
According to an insider from the Kwinkauk training battalion, veterans released on parole were sent directly to Kwinkauk for a two-week training stint, without being afforded the chance to express their preference regarding a return to military service.
"Most of them are reluctant to return to the military, despite the incentive of being promoted to a higher rank than they held before imprisonment. They seem robotic, moving mechanically without any discernible motivation”, the source said.
As a desperate measure due to the depletion of manpower in the face of strengthened resistance battles across the country, the Military Council announced on December 3rd that it would accept the reinstatement of deserters and veterans who were absent without leave.
Furthermore, the Military Council is extracting former deserters and other individuals serving prison terms to compel them into military service.
