Non-Subscriber Extract
Myanmar army document spotlights low morale
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| 27 March 2007 |
By Samuel Blythe JDW Correspondent
Bangkok
A confidential internal document obtained by Jane's shows that the Myanmar Armed Forces suffer from false reporting, haphazard inspections and poor record keeping.
The document summarises an 11-15 September 2006 meeting in Kyatpyay, Naypyidaw. Meetings are normally convened every four months, with typical attendance involving some 200 senior military officers, including the 12 members of the ruling council and the 13 regional commanders.
General Shwe Mann, the government's third highest-ranking official, reported manpower losses of 9,497 during a four-month period preceding September 2006, much of this due to desertions.
Adjutant General Thein Sein reported at the meeting that 13,764 soldiers were enlisted during the preceding four months: an increase of more than 15 per cent. This indicates that recruitment has intensified. Jane's reported last year that a recruitment campaign during the second four-month period of 2005 produced just 6,275 new personnel.
Recruitment drives are expected to persist for the foreseeable future. An officer with a newly created air-defence battalion interviewed by Jane's said that regiments are expected to actively recruit in appointed areas and are fined when they fail to meet quotas. However, maintaining current staffing levels is a challenge due to the high desertion rate, the officer added.
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© 2007 Jane's Information Group
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