Sankhalaburi – Twelve soldiers including an officer of the Burmese Army’s Infantry Battalion 32, temporarily based in 'Three Pagoda' town on the Thai-Burma border deserted and fled to neighbouring Thailand. A broker in Three Pagoda Pass on condition of anonymity said he helped them to reach a place in Thailand and to get jobs.
 
The soldiers include Lieutenant Ko Ko Lwin, 2nd Warrant Officer Htay Lwin, and 10 from other ranks. They did not want to mention the place they had reached for security reasons.  
 
The broker said "they have been in touch with me for a long time but I didn't believe them. However I told them to come to a place on Thai soil. When they arrived, our people brought them safely to the work place. We did not take any money for transporting them because we sympathized with them."
 
The soldiers left their battalion five days ago. They were sent as two separate teams.
 
An officer from the New Mon State Party on condition of anonymity said that his organization knew about the desertions but he refused to talk about it because it did not concern his organization.
 
Lt. Ko Ko Lwin was a personal assistant to Lt. Col. Khin Zaw, the commander of IB 32. Recently Lt Ko Ko Lwin quarreled with his battalion commander about his motorcycle accident in 'Three Pagoda' town. The deserters are from the battalion office on Bayintnaung hill in Three Pagoda town.
 
To provide security to Three Pagoda town IB 32 was exchanged with IB 24 at the end of March. It is learnt that IB 32 will replace the Light Infantry Battalion 356 soon. Unlike other towns, there are no permanent battalions in Three Pagoda town.
 
The Burmese military junta changes battalions every three months in Three Pagoda town. In the border area, battalion commanders have plenty of opportunities to make money under the table because the battalion commander becomes an administrative officer of the town. The Township Peace and Development Council has to follow the commander's order. Locals say that the commander's word is law.