By Ko Myo /MPA
More than 2,500 personnel from Myanmar’s military were removed from the battlefield in 2025 through capture or defection, according to new data released by monitoring groups.
The report, published on Thursday by the defectors’ assistance group People’s Goal, recorded a total of 2,578 individuals who exited the military ranks last year. Of these, 961 were active service members who chose to defect, the majority of whom were recent conscripts.
However, despite these losses for the ruling junta, opposition activists warn that the rate of defection remains drastically low when compared to the scale of the military’s mass conscription campaign.
‘A drop in the ocean’
Since the activation of the conscription law, the military has aggressively recruited young men to fill its depleted ranks.
A border-based officer from the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM), which assists civil servants and soldiers striking against the military government, told the MPA that the number of defectors is dwarfed by the intake of forced recruits.
“More than 100,000 people, including those currently in training, have been forced into military service,” the officer said.
“Out of that number, only about 800 have defected so far. That is far too few.”
He noted that more than 95% of these recruits were serving against their will, facing “dangerous conditions and discrimination” within the barracks. The CDM officer emphasized that while morale is low, revolutionary forces must urgently examine why so few are finding a way out.
Barriers to escape
A separate analysis by the Myanmar Defence and Security Institute (MDSI) suggests that the military has successfully tightened its grip on unwilling soldiers.
The institute’s report, Analysis of the Implementation and Impact of the People’s Military Service Law, highlights several key obstacles preventing mass desertion:
Information Blackouts: Soldiers often have limited access to outside news or contacts.
Fear and Propaganda: Constant threats and psychological warfare keep conscripts compliant.
Tight Surveillance: The military has implemented strict controls to curb desertions.The data from People’s Goal indicates that defections peaked in August 2025 with 174 soldiers leaving their posts, but numbers fluctuated significantly throughout the year, dropping to just 39 in December.
The has urged resistance leaders to improve coordination and develop “systematic strategies” to counter forced conscription, warning that the current inability to facilitate safe passage for defectors is weakening political momentum.
Meanwhile, People’s Goal continues to broadcast appeals to junta personnel, urging them to surrender to nearby resistance forces to “save their lives and expose the truth.”
