Four Myanmar junta soldiers including veteran sergeant defect to Chin resistance with weapons

Mizzima

An official statement from the Chinland Defence Force-Siyin (CDF-Siyin) local defence force on 18 June announced that four military junta personnel, including a veteran sergeant from the Thaingyin camp in Tedim Township, Chin State, have defected to the resistance group along with their weapons and ammunition, and were subsequently presented with cash rewards.

According to resistance sources, the defectors were personnel from Light Infantry Battalion 101, under the command of Light Infantry Division 77, and had only recently arrived at the Thaingyin camp from Kalay on 4 June.

The group of four includes a highly experienced sergeant with 26 years of service who had previously been deployed to Yangon, Tanintharyi, and Rakhine, a corporal with seven years of service who had prior deployments in Okpho and Rakhine, and two privates who had each served for four years.

On 11 June, a total of six soldiers initially fled the camp together. However, junta forces pursued and opened fire on them, resulting in the deaths of two soldiers, while the remaining four escaped and successfully reached the Chin resistance forces on 17 June.

A spokesperson for CDF CDM Siyin told Mizzima that because the soldiers had only recently arrived at the Thaingyin camp, they lacked detailed knowledge regarding the local terrain and camp layouts prior to their escape.

The strategic significance of Thaingyin village stems from its location at the junction of the Kalay-Tedim-Falam highway, serving as a critical logistical and military hub that has frequently been the site of armed clashes.

The junta re-established control over the area on 9 November 2025. CDF CDM Siyin, a member organization of the Chinland Council, stated that all defectors are being assisted in accordance with their wishes to safely relocate to liberated zones, while captured prisoners of war continue to be detained in strict compliance with the Geneva Convention.