Junta’s plan of “forming local militia group’ fails

November 20, 2023

HURFOM: The military junta’s plans to form local militia groups in villages in Mon State has not gone according to plan.

According to sources close to the Mon State military council, the project failed due to villages choosing to make no contribution to the initiative.

“The upper authority pushed hard (to form local militia groups). They said, if you can organize about 60 villagers, you’re allowed to form a militia group in your village. Economic opportunities are granted, and your group can govern your village. The military junta said it would provide incentives, but no one was interested in joining their militia groups. So the junta can’t form any local militia groups in Karen and Mon States,” said an official of a Mon armed group operating under the military junta.

The junta forced local ethnic armed groups to organize villagers into joining local militia groups, but the lists of members are just on paper. In reality, no one is willing to join militia groups.

“The village administrators have filed the list. But it isn’t working because the list and the reality didn’t match. An ordinary villager has never wanted to join a local junta militia group,” said a source close to a village administration team in Mudon Township.

With no public contributions, the military junta has no alternative but to give up their plan of “forming local militia groups” in Mon State, something they have tried to establish since the attempted coup on February 1, 2021.

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under News