Sat Dec 13 18:40:43 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summarized news article based on the provided text:

Headline: Thousands of Myanmar Soldiers Desert Military, Citing Atrocities and Sham Elections

NEW DELHI, December 14, 2025 – A former Myanmar army captain, Kaung Thu Win, revealed in an exclusive interview with The Hindu that approximately 20,000 soldiers and 200 military officers have deserted the Tatmadaw (Myanmar military) since the February 2021 coup. Citing widespread human rights abuses, including the indiscriminate killing of civilians and confiscation of property, Captain Kaung Thu Win said many within the military are unwilling to participate in the ongoing violence against Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs).

Captain Kaung Thu Win, who now serves as the India-representative for the democracy advocacy group “People’s Goal,” described witnessing routine atrocities that prompted his desertion in December 2021. He has since sought refuge in India, with his family joining him near the Myanmar-Mizoram border. He has urged India to communicate to Myanmar’s military that the “people of Myanmar have rejected the election already”. He also stated the junta wants to hold elections without any reform and it is further proof that the armed struggle is the only option.

According to Captain Kaung Thu Win, the deserters are currently located in Myanmar’s border areas with India and Thailand, as well as in “liberated zones” within the country. He claimed that the upcoming elections, scheduled to begin December 28th, are a sham intended to legitimize the military junta’s power. He stated there is already a silent strike of the election that is taking place in Myanmar. He further said that around 30 EAOs are part of the resistance whereas around 10 outfits are currently fighting the military. The captain argued that the armed struggle is the only option.

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