How Myanmar Military brainwashed about Ethnic Armed Organizations(EAOs)?

Among the brainwashing of Tatmadaw, The one about Ethnicity is also famous.I had experienced that brainwashing to hate ethnicity each others when I was in army before joining CDM movement. I had experienced that brainwashing to misunderstand the ethnic revolutionary groups likeKachin,Kayin,Rakhine,Shan as our enemy.They define that ethnic revolutionary groups as terrorist. We were brainwashed with the course even in training schools.KIA and KNU are always in the role of terrorist in every lesson we had learnd.

For example,We had learnd in our lessons like”Kachin terrorist,KNU.The leader is…and the number of soldiers.”Because of that brainwashing,we had wrong attitude and misunderstand.We thought the Civilians in local village of front line as terrorists or supporters for terrorists.There are many soldiers who are thinking like this. Beside,they brainwashed those difficulties of soldiers in front line are caused by that EAOs. Because of that brainwashing, we cannot see the truth that the trouble and difficulties of soldiers can be fulfilled by Tatmadaw.But most can’t see that truth and they think that all are caused by EAOs and other revolutionaries.

And then,they become more cruel and being terrorist themselves and they give trouble to the Civilians. Myanmar Military soldiers do persecution,killing,burning the houses and people,raping the women to the local Civilians by assuming as terrorists. Actually they are the ones who are doing that terrorist and cruel cases.They also kill all the animals instead of taking that amount needed to eat. They also destroy and burn the collected rice and crops so that the civilians cannot eat. There was a story that the Division 11 and Division 7 even kill the children by crushing in mortor.However they are refusing by saying soldiers don’t rape,the case of two female teachers from Kachin State is showing the truth about raping. The brainwash of Tatmadaw about ethics groups were very effective.The soldiers in Tatmadaw who are willing to join CDM always say that they don’t want to go to EAOs. When we ask for reason, they say that they are afraid of killing by EAOs and other revolutionaries when they join CDM.This one dominated the soldiers in last year and still working durung the dictatorship crisis.Actually, I also am worry about that too before leaving from army and going to the EAOs.But I lived friendly with them in the front line when I was younger and lower captain.So,I made my way with the believe in my mine.I want to say that I really felt the benefits of taking risk.I realized that I did the right choice and decision when I reach to the EAOs’ place.Not before taking with car by themselves and saying repeatedly ”Don’t worry. You are safe now. Don’t mind nothing. You even reached here and so don’t worry. “They prepared the best with they had to feed us. When we had no place to live,they called us to their house and treated us like special guests.

And so,these experiences become evidence to say that that brainwashing of Tatmadaw are wrong. I feel my regret for thinking wrongly the ethics brothers as terrorists when I experienced myself how they treat us.And I think myself when the enemies I thought before are helping and protecting us when the army I worked for whole life is trying to make trouble my whole families.When the CDM movement get stronger and employees from different departments joined CDM,there are also getting higher the percentage of polices and soldiers from Tatmadaw.To stop that CDM movement that making to reduce Military strength, Tatmadaw made another brainwash that the revolutionaries organizations and EAOs are killing the CDM soldiers.There was one CDM soldier who died by fighting Military back.Tatmadaw made fake videos and photos about him to brainwash their soldiers that he died in battle because EAOs said that they would believe him when he fought them back.And they say their soldiers that they will face like that when they join CDM. Actually,that society called Military taking to death their society with various wrong ways. The soldiers who are still in Tatmadaw should mind the truth and need to make the right decisions.

Htet Myat

Translated to English by KZH