A growing number of soldiers are deserting the Burmese army
The shadow government hopes helping them escape will weaken the Tatmadaw
ANGE LAY tried to contain his anxiety one morning last July as he, his wife and their daughter drove off the military base where they lived. A sergeant in the Burmese army, Mr Ange Lay had received permission from his superiors to visit a relative. Instead, he and his family wended their way to territory controlled by a rebel group, changing cars several times en route to shake off any followers.
This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “Goodbye to all that”
From the January 8th 2022 edition
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