But Maung Phyo was not a willing soldier: The 25-year-old said that he was abducted at gunpoint last December by the Myanmar military while harvesting rice at a farm 500 miles away. During basic training, his hair was shaved and his personal belongings were confiscated before he was given a military uniform and an identification number.
Operating in Myanmar’s Kayin state in the spring, Maung Phyo’s unit made steady progress against the pro-democracy forces arrayed against the military regime, pushing deeper into rebel territory despite facing a daily barrage of drone strikes, artillery attacks, and land mines.
Operating in Myanmar’s Kayin state in the spring, Maung Phyo’s unit made steady progress against the pro-democracy forces arrayed against the military regime, pushing deeper into rebel territory despite facing a daily barrage of drone strikes, artillery attacks, and land mines.
But Maung Phyo was not a willing soldier: The 25-year-old said that he was abducted at gunpoint last December by the Myanmar military while harvesting rice at a farm 500 miles away.
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