According to sources close to administrative officials, there is a rising trend of desertions from the military training school in Waekali, Thanbyuzayat Township, Mon State, as well as battalions and camps in the region under the military council.
Locals in Thanbyuzayat confirm sightings of military trainees fleeing the Waekali training school in groups of three or four, dressed in uniforms but unarmed, hiding in rubber plantations and forests.
“Some are said to have deserted from Battalion 62. There are also new recruits among them, but it’s unclear how many. Local farmers often encounter them. Since they are not from this area, they seem lost, and most of them end up being recaptured,” said a resident of Thanbyuzayat.
Similarly, there are also reports of soldiers deserting from military council battalions and camps within Ye and Thanbyuzayat Townships.
The military council has tightened security at training schools, battalions, and camps in response to the increasing desertion. Local village administrators have also been instructed to report any deserters they encounter.
According to sources close to administrative officials, the reasons for the abandonment are believed to include harsh living conditions, forced conscription, and recruits who were detained for alleged offenses. These factors are driving them to flee.
In addition, Nai Awe Mon, Director of the Mon Human Rights Foundation, stated that the military training is not being conducted systematically. Instead, recruits are being rapidly gathered and sent to the frontlines, which has led many to risk desertion in search of a way out.
“Some flee during training, while others desert after being sent to the frontlines. Many recruits are forced into training from the beginning. The main reason young people are fleeing is because the training is rushed, and they are quickly sent to the frontlines, which they might see as a death sentence. However, it is hard to confirm the exact numbers of deserters.”
In Mon State, migrant workers are being coerced into attending military training using fake registration documents issued by village administrators. Reports suggest that as many as seven batches are being mobilized this way.
According to data from the BACS report, 1,000 to 5,000 soldiers are being forcibly recruited from the first to seventh batches, totaling over 21,000 recruits. Additionally, more than 13,000 trainees from the 3rd batch have been sent to the frontlines after training.
