Myanmar’s military junta is offering cash incentives to members of armed resistance groups who lay down their weapons and return to “the legal fold” before the upcoming election.
“Cash rewards are being offered to those who return to the legal fold with arms and ammunition,” reports The Global New Light, a state-run newspaper in Myanmar published on Friday.
The country has been embroiled in civil conflict since the military coup in 2021. The junta has been battling pro-democracy guerrillas and various ethnic armed groups across the country. Following major setbacks on the battlefield, the junta has recently started promoting the planned election later this year as a “path to peace.” However, opposition groups and international observers have widely condemned the plan, calling it a “sham.”
The junta-run newspaper did not disclose the specific amount of cash being offered but stated that since a previous announcement two weeks ago welcoming defections, 14 anti-coup fighters have surrendered.
“These individuals have chosen to abandon armed struggle out of a desire to live peacefully within the legal framework,” the report added.
Among those who surrendered are 12 men and 2 women. 9 were reportedly members of ethnic armed groups, while the remaining 5 belonged to the pro-democracy People’s Defence Forces (PDF), which was formed shortly after the military ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected civilian government in 2021.
The junta’s offer mirrors earlier strategies used by opposition groups, who had welcomed defectors from the military ranks with cash incentives.
Meanwhile, the National Unity Government (NUG), a self-declared government-in-exile formed after the coup, dismissed the junta’s latest offer as “a deceptive tactic aimed at legitimising a fraudulent election to consolidate their power.”