The Meiktila District Battalion No.2 and Mahlaing People’s Defense Force announced on January 6 that the junta is preparing to form militia in the villages of Mahlaing Township in Meiktila District, Mandalay Region.
“We initially heard the junta selected three village tracts _ Thengone, Thabakgone and Kyauktan _ to form militia. After drawing a lot, 20 people per village will have to attend the military training. I heard the houses that did not win the vote will have to contribute to the cost. The amount of money to be paid has not been determined yet,” joint in charge of Mahlaing PDF, Ko Badin told MPA.
Therefore, if the military junta continues to take power, it will face all sorts of problems, so I want to urge the people to support and help from all sides to get the victory of revolution. Those who attended military training of the junta and worked with the military junta will be properly recorded and will be taken action in accordance with the law at the time of end of revolution, he continued.
“The junta troops say there is no need to fear the PDFs in the camp, but they are really afraid. They build bunkers and slowdowns. These guys have been weakened in morale and manpower for a long time,” said a CDM police sergeant.
Currently, in the townships of Taungta, Myingyan and Natogyi which are located close to Mahlaing town, _ counter fighting is intensifying between the military junta and the Local Defense Forces.
“I heard the military was hurting in the battles around Mahlaing township. Now they are planning to form a militia and people are forced to attend military training. The residents inside the town are afraid,” said a local woman in Mahlaing township.
The junta administrators and informers are often killed in Mahlaing Township, but the pro-junta people are substituted in those places to continue the administrative operation, according to local people.