18 May 2026 By Ra Wai
THAYET, Myanmar — A regional anti-junta resistance battalion in Magway Region has formally blacklisted and released the personal identities of nine of its former fighters after they defected to the ruling military regime.
The Thayet District Battalion 4 issued a public blacklisting directive on Monday, identifying the individuals who abandoned their posts between February and April this year to surrender to junta authorities in Mindon Township.
According to resistance officials, the defectors successfully established contact with junta-aligned police forces and Pyu Saw Htee militias in Mindon before being transferred to major military command facilities, including the 44th Light Infantry Battalion and the No. 12 Defense Equipment Factory (Ka-Pa-Sa 12) based in Thayet.
“They split from their units during assignments over the past few months,” Ko Myat, the Information Officer for Thayet District Battalion 4, told Headline MPA. “We have tracking data showing that some have already been reassigned to Mandalay, while others remain in Thayet town, working alongside junta soldiers at security checkpoints. A few are currently being processed to formally enlist into the junta’s police force.”
The blacklisted individuals were identified as residents of Kanma, Thayet, and Mindon townships. The battalion released their full aliases and hometowns to alert other resistance units of potential security breaches.
The defection has triggered broader counter-intelligence concerns for the regional opposition bloc. Ko Myat revealed that the turncoats have active mobile access and have been systematically calling their former frontline comrades, attempting to coax them into abandoning the armed resistance and surrendering to the state.
“They are actively attempting to recruit from within our ranks on behalf of the military,” Ko Myat added. “Releasing their names is a necessary measure to protect our operational security and insulate our active personnel from espionage.”
While high-profile defections from the military junta to the resistance movement have been widely documented since the 2021 coup, instances of opposition fighters returning to the military fold highlight the grueling, psychological toll of Myanmar’s prolonged civil war.
With Thayet District serving as a vital strategic transit artery between central Myanmar and the western hills, both sides remain locked in a tense war of attrition where intelligence, loyalty, and information security are heavily contested.
