"Myanmar's Rebel Offensive and Popular Backlash Against Military Draft"

Myanmar army soldiers who have surrendered or defected over the past three months reveal that the military is suffering from plunging morale and overstretched logistics amid a rebel offensive, prompting mass surrenders and undermining the cohesion of the forces defending Myanmar’s military junta. The rebels’ recent battlefield successes go beyond mere territorial gains, with calls for reinforcements and resupply of ammunition frequently going unanswered, soldiers disguising themselves as civilians to buy food, and combat support personnel being deployed to the battlefront without training. The military, which seized power in 2021, has sought to crush opposition with brutal methods, but the rebels have pushed them into their weakest position in decades, with thousands of troops surrendering or defecting.