Myanmar’s military is increasingly relying on retired soldiers to replenish its ranks, as months of conflict take a heavy toll on troops and recruitment efforts, according to military sources.
In an effort to bolster its strength in restive regions, the regime has started offering incentives to former military personnel to return to uniform, one ex-soldier who retired in 2012 told Myanmar Now.
Retired soldiers willing to return to active duty have been told that they can keep their pensions and will be restored to their former rank and salary if they rejoin the army, according to the ex-soldier, who said he served on the frontlines in Kayin State and Ayeyarwady Region for 13 years.
In Sagaing Region’s Katha Township, at least 50 retired soldiers have already been redeployed as part of the junta’s push to regain control over the area, he said.
But the offer is not open to everybody. While even soldiers in their sixties are welcome to return to the ranks, those known to support the ousted ruling party, the National League for Democracy, need not apply, he added.
He said he learned about the redeployment when he went to collect his pension in late September. He added that he was not among those approached with the offer.
“If they selected me, I would just turn around and shoot at them. I wouldn’t do it even if they offered five million kyat a month. They can even take away my pension. I honestly don’t care,” he said.
Recruitment drive
According to the retired soldier, there are more than 1,000 former army personnel living in Sagaing Region, including 200 in Katha Township alone.
The recruitment effort appears to be a high priority. It has involved some of the region’s highest-ranking officers, including Brig-Gen Phyo Min Thant, the commander of the Monywa-based Northwestern Regional Command, who was seen meeting with retired soldiers on October 4.
A number of special operations commanders with the rank of lieutenant general have also held similar meetings in various parts of Sagaing, military sources have told Myanmar Now.
According to the website of the Myanmar Retired Soldiers Association, there were more than 10,000 retired army officers and nearly 200,000 retired and reserve soldiers of other ranks in the country as of August 2017.
Capt. Khant Ko, a military defector who has joined the Civil Disobedience Movement, said this redeployment drive reflects the regime’s difficulties in finding new recruits amid a conflict that has badly damaged military morale.
“They are up against the entire population and have only a handful of supporters,” he said. “They know that these retired soldiers will be the easiest to recruit.”
According to Khant Ko, who is a graduate of the Defence Services Technological Academy (DSTA), even the military’s elite officer-training schools have been having trouble finding new recruits.
The DSTA, the Defence Services Academy, and the Defence Services Medical Academy all reopened in June, but have had to repeatedly postpone the start of classes due to a lack of students, he said.
The exact enrolment numbers at the three academies were not available, and it remained unclear when they would resume teaching.
Heavy casualties
An officer from a resistance group based in Mon State’s Mudon Township said that most of the redeployed soldiers have been assigned to serve at military bases or on guard duty at the entrances and exits to towns. Some, however, could be seen heading to the frontlines.
“Some are used as security officers, but the ones who are still healthy were also found on military trucks. But we aren’t going to hold our punches, no matter how old our opponents are. All that matters is that they are serving the dictatorship,” he said.
The officer also said that the regime has been giving shooting and sniper training to civilians in Thanbyuzayat Township, but this could not be confirmed.
It is likely that the regime will continue its efforts to bolster its manpower in the coming weeks and months, as it prepares to carry out major offensives in large parts of upper Myanmar and other areas such as Kayah (Karenni) State where it faces stubborn resistance from anti-junta forces.
According to a statement released by the shadow National Unity Government on October 7, a total of 4,456 junta soldiers have been killed since armed groups began to form earlier this year in response to brutal crackdowns on anti-coup protests.
