Military students: Job training gives hope to Myanmar military defectors | Conflict

Myanmar-Thailand border – In a secret meeting above a cafe in a town on the Myanmar-Thailand border, Ko Aye examined the inside of an Android phone along with 10 defectors from the Myanmar military and police.

The coach, a former captain of the Myanmar army, guided the group in the process of repairing a mobile phone, a skill that could help them build a future beyond the conflicts they had just left behind.

Having escaped from the notorious institutions they were a part of, these former police and soldiers now live in Thailand, near the Myanmar border, where they are learning new skills to adapt to the peaceful life of civilians.

“If Myanmar becomes peaceful one day, I will come back to fix phones there,” said Ko Aye, a transgender man, whose conversations marked a new chapter in his strong life journey.

“Although I will have to practice on some broken ones at home first,” Ko Aye added with a smile, wearing one of his homemade tie shirts – a craft he taught himself to earn money.

Ridiculed by his colleagues for his sexuality when he was an airport police officer, 31-year-old Ko Aye defected after Myanmar’s military coup in February 2021.

He also trained as a doctor with the country’s anti-democracy movement and it was then that Ko Aye saw first-hand the devastation of airstrikes on people opposed to military rule in Myanmar.

Eventually, Ko Aye fled to Thailand to seek safety and sanity.

He is now part of the first batch of graduates from a job training program launched by People’s Goal, a group that advocates for military defectors.

In addition to repairing mobile phones, the program provides training in repairing bicycles, e-bikes and motorcycles – skills that can help create a new path for those involved in the combat years.

‘Our main aim is to give hope’

Many defectors from the Myanmar army struggle to find work and accommodation when they arrive in Thailand after fleeing Myanmar. They do not have legal residence permits, increasing the fear of being arrested by Thai immigration authorities and deported to their country, where they could face torture, long prison terms, or even execution.

For fear of being infiltrated by military spies among them, most of the students who become soldiers in the skills training program choose to use aliases to protect their identities and protect their families from any possible reprisals at home.

“Our main goal is to give hope to people who want to rebel,” said Naung Yoe, 40, a former army commander who defected three years ago.

He explains how People’s Goal provides safe housing, counseling and political education on democracy and human rights to ex-servicemen.

One of the five directors of this organization, Naung Yoe said that these training courses are also a beacon for soldiers who are thinking of defecting, as the members of the army often worry about what awaits them and their families outside the army.

Myanmar is approaching the fourth year of its worst civil war, which erupted after the military ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government in 2021, arrested civilian leaders and killed peaceful protesters against a military takeover.

According to United Nations investigators, reports of organized torture, gang rape, and child abuse have increased under military rule.

On both sides of the conflict in Myanmar, thousands of young people have been affected by years of brutality.

A generation traumatized and desensitized to violence, its education disrupted and its ready access to weapons, brings great challenges to its restoration in human life.

Naung Yoe estimated that by December 2023, approximately 10,000 police and 3,900 soldiers had defected or surrendered following the coup. He believes that number has since exceeded 15,000, although verification of the exact figure is impossible.

People’s Goal is also unable to confirm that the ex-soldier who comes to them for skills training has been involved in war crimes, and the group cannot punish them for such involvement.

“In general, those who have committed war crimes are less likely to defect,” said Naung Yoe. “They never felt safe without the military.”

However, if the ex-soldier confesses to the crimes, the organization will pass on the information to international court investigators looking for evidence of similar crimes committed by the Myanmar military, said Naung Yoe.

“Rebellion is decreasing [the] and after the revolution, everyone who committed a crime will have to face justice in one way or another,” he added.

Former soldiers and analysts say Myanmar’s military tortures soldiers, making them believe their bloodshed is justified, but access to social media and smartphones has undermined that indoctrination.

Naung Yoe explained that the military – who are closely watched by their superiors – may have access to more information than most people, but they know that the military is killing civilians.

“Those who are against genocide are guilty enough,” he told Al Jazeera.

“But some rebels have gaps in their knowledge. That is why we offer training in democracy and work with civil society organizations to help them learn.”

‘Now only military power and pressure’

Telephone repairman Thet Oo, 30, a former army captain, told Al Jazeera that he had doubts whether vocational training would encourage potential rebels.

Although he is willing to teach soldiers and police officers who have left later than others, Thet Oo said he has little time for those who “didn’t stand in front of the people” and are still in the military.

“I am doing this training to help rebels take care of themselves and improve their lives,” he said.

“Enough time has passed for people to make a mistake or not,” he added.

“Now only military power and pressure will lead to more rebellion and surrender.”

On a road noisy with whistling myna birds, tea shop chatter and clanking bells – in a scene reminiscent of Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city 420 kilometers (260 miles) to the west – three criminals are linked by an e-bike.

Among them was Zaw Gyi, 46, a former warrant officer for 21 years in the army, who has been attending mechanics courses six days a week for the past month.

“I could do nothing but pray to get this opportunity because they chose from many applicants, said Zaw Gyi, who relies on construction work that happens occasionally in Thailand since he rebelled and fled Myanmar in May 2022.

“Although people do not trust each other, people still help those who rebel, so we must be a good example to those who look at us with suspicion – an example that we can live together in harmony,” he said.

Back in the phone repair class, Ko Aye said the training brought opportunities for new friendships.

“We can understand and help each other,” he said.

One of his best friends – his brother – also defected from the army. But he was caught by the army before he could flee the country.

“We don’t know whether he is alive or dead,” said Ko Aye. However, he is sure that making the decision to rebel was the right decision for his brother.

“As police officers, we should be public servants,” he added.

“We should not threaten or kill. That is what happened in Myanmar.”