Two junta defectors urge conscripts to surrender to AA to save their lives
DMG Newsroom
21 October 2026, Kyaukphyu
Two soldiers forcibly conscripted by the military junta and deployed to the Kyaukphyu frontline have defected to the Arakan Army (AA), citing physical abuse and harsh treatment by their superiors.
One of the defectors said some conscripts had taken their own lives because they could no longer endure the abuse.
The two men said conscripts deployed to the Kyaukphyu frontline in Arakan State were forced to perform hard labour, discriminated against and subjected to physical torture by their superiors.
“They hit us and shouted insults at us continuously,” said Soe Min Thein, a conscripted soldier who defected to the Arakan Army. “It was extremely painful. They hurled verbal abuse at us almost daily. Unable to bear the abuse, some recruited soldiers placed rifle barrels against their own necks and shot themselves.”
Soe Min Thein and Aung Kyaw Naing were conscripted into Light Infantry Battalion No. 218 (LIB 218), which operates under the 11th Light Infantry Division (LID 11), before defecting to the Arakan Army during clashes in Kyaukphyu Township.
Both men said junta forces had forcibly detained them and sent them to military training camps, where they underwent four months of compulsory training.
More than 250 conscripts were held at the training camp, according to the defectors. Those who attempted to escape to avoid training were tied with their hands behind their backs, severely beaten and placed in foot irons after being captured.
After completing their training, the two men were stationed at LIB 218 for 15 days before being transported by ship from Botahtaung Port in Yangon to the Kyaukphyu frontline in Arakan State.
Upon arrival, a group of 18 junta soldiers was split up near Sanae Town in Kyaukphyu Township. The conscripts were forced to perform hard labour, including digging bomb shelters and hauling heavy wooden logs and posts. Those unable to keep up were beaten and verbally abused, the men said.
“Rations were extremely meager,” said Aung Kyaw Naing, another soldier who defected to the Arakan Army. “They swore at us, shouted at us, and beat us. If we were unable to work, they hit us. When we fell ill and requested medicine, they scolded and insulted us.”
The defectors said regular junta soldiers were exempted from guard duties, while conscripts were required to perform individual six-hour guard shifts under discriminatory conditions.
The men said heavy casualties among junta forces on the Kyaukphyu frontline, along with the daily sight of wounded soldiers, had undermined morale and contributed to their decision to defect to the Arakan Army.
“We saw soldiers with severed legs,” Soe Min Thein said. “Almost every day, we saw four, five, or six wounded troops being carried away on stretchers from the frontlines.”
Soe Min Thein urged other conscripts on the Kyaukphyu frontline to surrender their weapons to the Arakan Army as soon as possible to save their lives and reunite with their families.
Soe Min Thein urged other conscripts on the Kyaukphyu frontline to surrender their weapons to the Arakan Army as soon as possible to save their lives and reunite with their families.
Clashes continue in Kyaukphyu Township as junta troops attempt to advance into territory controlled by the Arakan Army, which is maintaining defensive positions.
Amid military setbacks, the junta continues to bombard civilian villages in Kyaukphyu Township using jet fighters, drones and naval artillery, forcing nearby residents to flee to safer areas.
Comments