Loikaw, March (24)
In conflict-ridden areas, the coup leaders have to organize themselves to prevent internal disintegration, and this situation shows the chaos within the army, said a Captain who joined CDM.
In recent days, the coup leader,Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, and the second military leader, Lt. General Soe Win, have been visiting military commands in Sagaing Region and Kayah State, where fighting has been raging.
The junta leader urged the soldiers to remain united inside the army and to be loyal to the army when he paid a visit to the Northwestern Command in Sagaing on March 20.
In addition, he promised to provide welfare assistance with military family members and to open summer courses for the children of military family members.
CDM Capt. Htet Myat told Than Lwin Times that seeing military leaders themselves campaigning down to the bottom units shows the lack of morale in the army.
A few days prior to the junta leader’s visit to Sagaing, the soldiers carried out massive raids in the area south of Monywa town and seized two PDF camps.
CDM Sergeant Zeya said, “The military leader’s visit to Sagaing, where the conflict is raging, was a psychological operation within the army to show that the situation was under control”.
The leaders’ trips are given as a reason to develop the economy in the region, but they are only organizing trips to keep the morale of the military in check.
On March 15, Lieutenant General Soe Win, the deputy military leader, during his visit to Loikaw, Kayah State, urged the troops to serve 24 hours a day, to properly use the military skills they learned while serving, and to effectively use the weapons and ammunition they were equipped with.
According to CDM Warrant Officer -2, the suffering military council has recently taken steps to ease some of the wrongdoings, such as drinking alcohol.
Before the military takeover, the strength of a unit that went to the front line was around 100 or more, and now according to the information in the paper, the military strength is only around 60 or 70, which has decreased by a third, according to the CDM captains.
On the other hand, the National Unity Government (NUG) announced on January 1 that there are more than 4,000 soldiers and around 9,000 policemen who joined CDM, a non-violent Civil Disobedience Movement against the military coup.
News-Than Lwin Times
Thanlwintimes