Myanmar’s civil war has taken a stark and unsettling turn, with young pro‑democracy fighters admitting they are switching sides simply to survive. The revelation exposes the grinding poverty and exhaustion shaping the conflict nearly five years after the military coup.

 

Soe, a 24‑year‑old member of the People’s Defence Force (PDF), says the “dirty reality” of the war is that many fighters now drift between resistance units and junta‑aligned militias depending on who can feed them. Speaking from Payathonzu, a tense border town near Thailand, he described comrades temporarily donning the uniforms of the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA) — an ethnic armed group allied with the military regime.

 

“They change into DKBA uniforms for food and money,” he said, explaining that months of unpaid fighting have left many PDF members with little choice. For some, the decision is not ideological but a matter of survival.

 

Soe’s own journey reflects the upheaval gripping Myanmar. Once a physics student in Yangon, he joined the PDF after the 1 February 2021 coup that toppled Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government. He has since fought in the jungles of Kayin state as part of the armed wing of the shadow administration formed by Suu Kyi’s allies.

 

But the conflict’s front lines have become increasingly fluid. Payathonzu, where Soe spoke, is both a battleground and a smuggling hub — a place where drug trafficking, human movement and armed groups intersect. In such an environment, loyalties blur easily, especially when fighters are unpaid, underfed and operating far from home.

 

The PDF, made up largely of young volunteers, has long struggled with shortages of weapons, supplies and funding. Meanwhile, junta‑aligned militias such as the DKBA have access to more stable revenue streams, including taxation, smuggling routes and support from military authorities. For hungry fighters, the offer of a meal or a small payment can be enough to cross the line, even temporarily.

 

The shifting allegiances highlight the wider fragmentation of Myanmar’s war. With dozens of armed groups, collapsing state structures and a devastated economy, the conflict has become as much about survival as politics. For fighters like Soe, the dream of restoring democracy remains, but the daily reality is far harsher — a war where even choosing a side can depend on whether there is food on the table.

 

-2025-12-11

Interesting that they're carrying AR's and not AK's.