An interview with Ko Myo Myint Aung, the person in charge of the Mother’s Embrace – a group that helps defectors from the military join the the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM).
With the reduction of the Myanmar military’s troop strength and the decline of troops’ morale due to the people’s defensive war, insubordination is increasing as more and more soldiers on the front lines no longer want to fight, and there are more and more deserters.
According to the National Unity Government’s report on the two-year anniversary of the defense war, more than 13,000 military personnel and police have joined the CDM against the military dictatorship since the coup.
In this interview with Than Lwin Times, Ko Myo Myint Aung, the person in charge of Mother’s Embrace–a group that helps defectors from the military join the CDM-talks about the situation inside the military junta, participation in the CDM, and the military council’s attempts to control informants inside the military, as well as the increase in desertion from the military.
Q: Can you tell us about the situation of increased CDM participation within the military after the junta extended the state of emergency?
A: In terms of CDM participation rates, the total number of people who have joined all CDM support groups, including People’s Embrace, People’s Sons, and Mother’s Embrace, has increased to nearly 14,000. The decline in troop strength in the military can’t be attributed solely to CDM participation rates. The number of CDM participants is increasing. There is a desertion rate from the military. We must also consider the number of internal informants (known locally as ‘watermelon soldiers”). We estimate that the number of CDM participants from the military and police combined is about 14,000. On their side, there are military and police deserters.
Q: What is the situation of the watermelon soldiers, and how do you verify the information they provide?
A: The strength of the watermelon soldiers is increasing. Some of them don’t know how to make contact or where to send information. In the past, we supported them with phone bills or other financial assistance. Now their numbers have greatly increased. We no longer need to support them financially. They request codes from us. We no longer need to support them financially. We don’t just blindly accept their information. To explain, there is the recruitment and probation period. How reliable their information is, their information about troop movements on the ground and movements of senior military persons and vehicles, we verify with our ground teams. If the information is true and reliable, the ground teams confirm that to us. We recognize those who provide reliable information.
Q: What is the military council doing to control the situation of increasing military defectors and information senders within the military?
A: Right now, they are persuading soldiers of lower ranks not to join the CDM. They have confiscated their NRCs so they can’t travel. They are not allowed to go outside alone under the pretext of their security. They have also urged their soldiers to hold Smart Cards. So many soldiers joined the CDM last academic year. This year, they have banned soldiers from continuing their education, taking exams, participating in distant education courses, and so on. They (the military council) are especially concerned about the increasing defections. But those who really want to leave will reach us by any means.
Q: What differences are there currently in the lives of soldiers still serving in the military and their families compared to the families of CDM soldiers?
A: There is a big difference. A sergeant receives a salary of about 210,000 kyat. From that, they can deduct savings, life insurance, covid loans, and other expenses. A sergeant usually has one child and up to three or four dependents. How can they make ends meet on 40,000 or 50,000 kyat?
CDM (soldiers) don’t have to serve here. A single soldier receives 100,000 Kyat if he joins CDM. They receive 200,000 Kyat if they have family members, 300,000 Kyat if they have one child, and 400,000 Kyat if they have two children. So they can receive 100,000-400,000 kyat. They don’t have to do any duties here. In the military, they only receive 210,000 Kyat. After deducting various fees, they are left with only 45,000 Kyat. Their family members also have to do duties, such as standing guard. Everyone in the military circles knows this. But here they also get extra support. They also have the freedom to work independently. On our side, they can work. Some of them have even participated in CDM support activities. They work and share their earnings to help each other.
Q: As a group helping junta soldiers to join CDM, how do you estimate CDM participation in the coming dry season?
A: The number of CDM participants will only increase. It will increase because this year the military council is not allowing soldiers to continue their education. Some units are no longer allowed to continue their education or take exams. Soldiers have their own ways and patterns of desertion that we know from experience. There are many who want to join the CDM. Whether they join the CDM or not, we are not very concerned about that. Even if they try to prevent CDM participation within the military, our inside information forces will only grow.
If they allow them to move freely and let those who want to join CDM enter, the number of CDM members will increase. The longer they try to prevent CDM participation, the more inside information we will get from them. When soldiers join CDM, we give them financial support and provide accommodation and food supplies. So it has become a burden for us. We will accept and help anyone who comes. The longer they prevent CDM participation, the more watermelon soldiers there will be in the military. The strength of the watermelon soldiers is now very large. Some of them even send information directly to the Ministry of Defense (MOD).
Sent by Than Lwin Times.