Three soldiers from junta regime reportedly absconded from their duties at a security post in Mayangone, Yangon, on 11 September, according to a report just out.

The deserters left their military uniforms in bushes near the post in the compound of the Pawtawmu Pagoda, according to the locals.

“When we went to the local administrative office there to report overnight guest visits, the power cut broke out. Authorities were so busy with searching for three missing soldiers who left their military uniforms in bushes near the post in the pagoda’s compound. And they suspended taking overnight guest visit reports in that evening,” said a local source.

The junta troops in that pagoda compound carried out house raids and made arrests when people were beating pots and kitchen utensils in early months of the coup. They also took the civilians and forced them to beat pots and pans the whole night without letting people sleep; women were forced to dance on the street and punished with squat-to-stand exercises.

Since the coup, many soldiers and troops have deserted their posts. According to a report by Myanmar Now in August, about 1,500 soldiers have defected and joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM).

In February and March, the junta’s army and police brutally cracked down on peaceful protesters. Consequently, in early May, local armed resistance groups were formed in many areas across Myanmar.

Many local militias targeted police, soldiers and junta-appointed administrators. In some cases, local PDFs persuaded junta’s soldiers and police to defect and join the CDM and threatened that the junta’s troops will be targeted if they do not desert the army.