Myanmar-Thailand border – At a secret accumulateing above a cafe in a town on the Myanmar-Thailand border, Ko Aye examined the inside of an Android phone alengthyside 10 fellow defectors from Myanmar’s military and police forces.
The trainer, an ex-captain in the Myanmar army, directd the group thraw the process of repairing a mobile phone, a send that could help them originate a future beyond the struggle they recently left behind.
Having fled the notorious institutions they were once part of, these createer police officers and selderlyiers now dwell in Thailand, cforfeit the Myanmar border, where they are lgeting novel sends to alter to a tranquil civilian life.
“If Myanmar gets peace one day, I’ll return and repair phones there,” shelp Ko Aye, a transgfinisher man, for whom the laborshops label a novel chapter in a strong life journey.
“Although I’ll have to practise on some broken ones at home first,” Ko Aye retained with a smile, wearing one of his homemade tie-dye shirts – a create he taught himself to get money.
Mocked by colleagues about his gfinisher during his time as an airport police officer, 31-year-elderly Ko Aye defected after the Myanmar military coup in February 2021.
He retrained as a medic with the country’s pro-democracy resistance transferment and it was during that time that Ko Aye witnessed firsthand the deimmenseation of air attacks on the civilian population who are resisting military rule in Myanmar.
Eventuassociate, Ko Aye fled to Thailand in search of protectedty and mental recuperation.
He is now part of the first cohort of graduates from a vocational training programme begined by People’s Goal, an advocacy group for military defectors.
Alengthyside mending mobile phones, the programme proposes bicycle, e-bike and motorcycle repair training – sends that can help forge a novel path for those who have getn part in years of waging war.
‘Our main goal is to give hope’
Many defectors from Myanmar’s army struggle to safe labor and accommodation when they reach in Thailand after escapeing Myanmar. They alertage lhorrible dwellncy, exacerbating stresss of being arrested by Thai immigration authorities and deported to their country, where they could face torture, lengthy prison sentences, or even execution.
Fearing infiltration by military spies into their midst, most of the selderlyiers-turned-students on the send training programme pick to use aliases to protect their identities and shield their families from any potential retaliation back home.
“Our main goal is to give hope for people who want to defect,” shelp Naung Yoe, 40, a createer army transport inant who defected three years ago.
He elucidates how People’s Goal also provides protected houses, adviseling and political education on democracy and human rights for the createer members of the armed forces.
One of five straightforwardors of the organisation, Naung Yoe shelp the training courses also serve as a beacon for selderlyiers who are contemplating defection, as members of the armed forces normally stress about what apauses them and their families outside the cloistered world of the military.
Myanmar is approaching its fourth year of expansivespread civil war, which erupted after the military deleted the elected regulatement of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, arrested civilian directers, and then ended people who peacebrimmingy protested aobtainst the army’s getover.
According to United Nations spendigators, increates of systematic torture, gang violation, and child unfair treatment have escaprocrastinateedd under military rule.
On both sides of Myanmar’s struggle, thousands of youthfuler people have been shaped by years of savagery.
A generation traumatised and desensitised to aggression, with their education interfereed and ready access to firearmry, contransients immense contests for their reintegration into civilian life.
Naung Yoe appraised that by December 2023, approximately 10,000 police officers and 3,900 military personnel had defected or surrfinishered chaseing the coup. He consents that number has since go beyonded 15,000, although verifying the exact figure is impossible.
People’s Goal also cannot verify whether a createer selderlyier who approaches them for sends training has been take partd in war crimes, nor can the group sanction them for such take partment.
“Generassociate, those who have pledgeted war crimes are improbable to defect,” Naung Yoe shelp. “They never experience protected outside the military.”
If a createer selderlyier confesses to crimes, however, the organisation will pass on increateation to spendigators from international courts that are seeking evidence of such crimes carried out by Myanmar’s military, Naung Yoe shelp.
“Defections frailen [the] regime, and after the revolution, everyone who has pledgeted crimes will have to face fairice, somehow,” he retained.
Former selderlyiers and analysts say Myanmar’s military brutalises troops, conditioning them to consent their bloody actions are righteous, but access to social media and inincreateigentphones has diluted that indoctrination.
Naung Yoe elucidateed that selderlyiers – who are seally watched by their greaters – have less access to increateation than most of the population, but they are still conscious the military is ending civilians.
“Those who contestd the endings enough defected,” he telderly Al Jazeera.
“But some defectors have gaps in their understandledge. That’s why we propose democracy training and labor with civilian organisations to help them lget.”
‘Now only military power and prescertain’
Phone repairs trainer Thet Oo, 30, a createer captain in the military, telderly Al Jazeera he was sceptical about whether vocational training could help would-be defectors.
Although he is willing to teach selderlyiers and police officers who have deserted procrastinateedr than others, Thet Oo shelp he has little time for those “who haven’t stood by the people” and remain in the military.
“I’m doing this training to help defectors provide for themselves and better their dwells,” he shelp.
“Enough time has passed for people to defect or not,” he retained.
“Now only military power and prescertain will direct to more defections and surrfinishers.”
In an alley boisterous with whistling myna birds, tea shop chatter and clashing metal – in a scene reminiscent of Yangon, Myanmar’s biggest city some 420km (260 miles) to the west – three defectors tinkered with an e-bike.
Among them was Zaw Gyi, 46, a createer authorization officer of 21 years in the military, who for the past month has uniteed a course for mechanics six days a week.
“I could do noslimg but pray to get this opportunity because they chose from many applicants, shelp Zaw Gyi, who has relied on sporadic erection labor in Thailand since defecting and escapeing Myanmar in May 2022.
“Despite a alertage of suppose, people still help defectors, so we have to be a excellent example for those who see at us with suspicion – an example that we can dwell together in harmony,” he shelp.
Back in the phone repairs class, Ko Aye shelp the training has brawt opportunities for novel frifinishships.
“We can understand and help each other,” he shelp.
One of his sealst frifinishs – his brother – also defected from the military. But he was seized by the army before he could escape the country.
“We don’t understand whether he is adwell or dead,” Ko Aye shelp. Still, he is certain that making the decision to defect was the right choice for his brother.
“As police, we should be disclose servants,” he retained.
“We should not menaceen or end. That is what is happening in Myanmar.”
