Shortly after the Myanmar military staged a coup on February 1, 2021, it began brutalizing, imprisoning and killing individuals at peaceful protests throughout the country.
The ruthless treatment of civilians by the military and police did not go unnoticed, with photos and reports of their actions published widely. The reports deeply affected many soldiers and police, triggering a surge of defections.
Since the coup, a total of 12,341 junta personnel – 3,015 soldiers and 9,326 police – have defected to the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), according to the People’s Embrace, a group helping defectors.
Military defections peaked in 2021, but the People’s Embrace now expects another surge as soldiers abandon their positions “amidst the escalating war, especially in the Kachin, Karen, and Karenni regions.”
Also spurring defections is February’s enforcement of the conscription law, dictating mandatory military service for men aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 to 27.
Seven former soldiers shared their reasons for defecting and their experiences afterward in interviews conducted in safe houses and secure locations in Thailand. Their motivations for joining the Myanmar military were also discussed. The interviews were conducted in February, with follow-up sessions when additional information became available.
Aged from 22 to 39, the interviewees had spent between four and 22 years in the military, achieving ranks ranging from private to major.
For safety, all names used in this article are pseudonyms and specific locations are not mentioned.
Refuge from poverty
The defectors said they joined the Myanmar army as teenagers or in their early 20s. All but one was motivated by refuge from unemployment and the education, skills training, and other perceived long-term benefits of military life.
Bo Pyay joined the army aged 17 to escape unemployment.
“There was little prospect of getting a job to earn my living. At that time, the country was somewhat peaceful and the military offered more education and job opportunities.”
Khant Tun had no special interest in the army but needed a career after college.
Zeya Hein entered the military in 2014. “There was a positive perception of the military during that time. The economy was bad and it was difficult to find a job after high school.”
Lin Aung enlisted mostly out of despair. With no family to assist him, he was unable to find employment and needed to support himself.
“I had no other good options to earn a living.”
However, while entering the army was easy, exiting was a different story.
One defector signed an agreement to serve five years but was barred from leaving when he completed his term.
“This happens to the majority of soldiers,” he said.
Lin Aung thought he could join for one or two years to see if he liked it and then leave if not.
“I was not told how difficult it would be to leave,” he said.
A common reason for staying in the military is financial survival. Lin Aung enlisted in 2020 but stayed on even after the 2021 coup.
“Even though I realized how the military was treating the people and ruling the country, I couldn’t see a way to survive on my own,” he explained.
The defectors interviewed had various roles and duties in the army.
Bo Pyay worked on a project to produce cluster bombs during his decade as a soldier.
Thawda Win described his role as support, transporting ammunition to soldiers in the field. Support roles do not always mean being out of harm’s way, and his deliveries exposed him to life-and-death situations. On one occasion, his supply convoy was ambushed by resistance forces, and he narrowly escaped with his life.
Thawda Win now shares his expertise with the People’s Defense Force (PDF), providing guidance on weapons maintenance, storage, transportation, and related subjects, highlighting how defectors are valuable to the resistance.
Turning point
Many soldiers want to defect, but fear for their personal safety and the potential harm it could bring to their families act as significant deterrents.
Others have succumbed to military indoctrination, regulation and control.
They look to the army for benefits in terms of both status and wealth.
Pyae Mg recalled both senior officers and subordinates declaring that Min Aung Hlaing was not tough enough in fighting “insurgents” and advocating hanging for anyone who resisted the military.
“Most of the soldiers in my company felt this way and that’s why I realized that I couldn’t stay in the military.”
Interviewees gave various reasons for defecting, but certain ones were mentioned frequently.
Safety was a major concern when weighing the consequences of defecting. The Washington Post recently reported accounts of punishment meted out to defectors who are caught, including testimony from a defector saying he was tortured. The interviewees said they deliberated over their own safety as well as potential retribution against their families when contemplating defection.
Casual mistreatment of soldiers was a factor, too.
“Everyone in the military should be treated with respect regardless of rank. Due to abusive conditions imposed by the higher ranks on lower ranks, the military is failing,” said an army captain who defected.
A former private said he was often bullied and overloaded with duties.
“I didn’t have enough time to eat or sleep.”
Each said that defecting was an individual decision.
“My grandmother was blinded by the military’s bombs,” said another. “That‘s when I decided to leave the army.”
When asked if the success of resistance operations 1027 and 1111 affected their defection decisions, no specific event or battle was mentioned. However, interviewees conceded that the anticipated outcome of these ongoing operations – the collapse of the entire army – was a factor in their decision.
People’s Embrace continues to assert there is a limited window of opportunity for soldiers to defect, declaring “Stand with the people before it’s too late!” However, none of the interviewees was aware of a time limit for defecting.
One former senior officer had this advice for would-be defectors: “Have a strong determination to defect because the road is not an easy one.”
Another former high-ranking officer said that not enough was being done to attract others to defect, especially since officers often have “valuable and secret” military information. The incentives on offer are not attractive enough for them to consider leaving their posts, he added.
Defector organizations conduct a rigorous process before soldiers are accepted. The vetting process varies and was different for almost everyone interviewed.
A defector’s journey from their base to safety in a resistance-controlled area is not straightforward and can be filled with danger. It can take days to reach a defector organization’s representative, with creativity and cunning required to evade roadblocks, patrols and checkpoints.
Life after defection
Once they reach safety, defectors’ living conditions are typically spartan.
Pyae Mg lives in a small, one-room apartment with three others. Thawda Win and his wife stay in the lobby of a four-story safe house that houses a mix of single men and families. He said defectors are permitted to stay in their safe house for three months but can ask for an extension if they still can’t find alternative accommodation.
Defectors are also expected to find jobs. Some find casual jobs lasting a day or two, but the work is not consistent. People’s Embrace says it does not have the capacity to help defectors find jobs.
By some estimates there are over a million Myanmar migrants and war refugees in Thailand, and defectors are fortunate if they reside within the support network of a Myanmar-centric community.
The defectors interviewed expressed gratitude for financial support from Myanmar’s parallel National Unity Government (NUG). Each defector is currently paid 700 baht per month, or 1,400 baht if accompanied by a spouse. The sum may be small, but it’s vital for survival.
Difficulties faced by both defectors and Myanmar refugees are numerous. Most cannot speak the local language and they all lack official recognition by the Thai government.
One defector summed up what others had said:
“I would like more support from organizations that help defectors. I realize this is not easy, but I would like the NUG to give me documents for a legal stay, a work permit, and not to be harassed by Thai police.”
Most defectors face a precarious existence in Thailand, with little money, no legal protection, and often forced to live under new identities.
Venturing outside their safe house or small community puts them at risk of police harassment. Defectors also fear the Burmese military asking Thai authorities to deport them.
Despite their long and perilous journeys to freedom, all the interviewees expressed gratitude for the defection process.
In a follow-up interview, Lin Aung explained how difficult life was for him now. Basic sustenance is an issue, and day-to-day living is stressful. Jobs are hard to find, and he worries about his dire living conditions and when they will change. Yet he has no misgivings about his decision.
“No matter how hard it is, I don’t regret leaving the Myanmar military.”
The defectors wanted the world to know that they joined what they believed was “the people’s army.”
When they realized that the military was no longer serving civilians but instead harming them, they defected to the people’s side.
Gary Rocchio is a freelance photojournalist.
Burmese translator Joseph Ong contributed to this report.
