Yangon, May (11)
With front lines open almost all over the country and the deterioration of the administration, military, and politics, the military council has used a strategy to offer incentives and crack down on the People’s Defense Forces (PDF), according to political analysts.
The military regime has been engaged in ground battles with the ethnic armed forces that have been involved in the eradication of the military dictatorship, including hundreds of armed forces that have emerged since their seizure of power.
The military council, which is suffering losses in the battle, is depending increasingly on air support, but due to an acute shortage of military strength, hundreds of soldiers are engaging in the nonviolent Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM).
In this situation, the junta announced on May 9 that the People’s Defense Forces (PDF) will be provided with a reward of at least 200,000 kyats and a maximum of 7,500,000 kyats if they surrender along with weapons and ammunition.
CDM Captain Lin Htet Aung believed that the military council utilized this tactic to weaken their adversaries since their military, administrative, and organizational capacities appeared to be deteriorating as a result of ground battle defeats.
The military council has given incentives to the PDFs: if they hand over a walkie-talkie, they will offer a reward of 200,000 kyats, 300,000 kyats for improvised mines and grenades; 500,000 kyats for hand-made guns; 5,000,000 kyats for a bomb-carrying drone; and up to 7,500,000 kyats for weapons such as fire weapons, grenade launchers, and RGPs.
In addition, if those who surrender their weapons and ammunition have committed a crime such as murder, rape, or causing harm to others, they will be tried in court according to the law.
Comrade Ko Htwe from Taung Nyo Battalion said, “I have no faith in the actions of the military regime and will fight against them until the end. I want the junta soldiers to join the people’s embrace. If they came along with guns, we would pay them 100 lakhs for each”.
The military council said terrorist groups, including PDF, and those who are in organizations outside of the law for various reasons, have to be invited to return to the legal fold in order to participate in nation building.
Under the reign of dictators U Nay Win and U Than Shwe, the military regime drove a wedge among the ethnic armed organizations, forcing them to surrender while granting business rights.
Veteran politician U Pe Than pointed out that although the military council gave incentives, the comrades who had a firm belief in the revolution at the cost of their lives would not compromise their convictions for a handful of opportunities.
On the other hand, revolutionary forces, including the opposition National Unity Government (NUG), are offering cash awards to soldiers and policemen who surrender along with the ammunition.
Political analysts point out that the military council’s mobilization of PDFs with rewards is waging psychological warfare among revolutionary forces.
According to the National Unity Government (NUG), about 30,000 enemy forces were killed in the two years of the people’s defensive war, and more than 13,000 military and police personnel who did not accept the coup joined the people’s embrace.
News – Than Lwin Times
Photo: PV TV
