Two ethnic Arakanese soldiers from the Burmese Army surrendered to a KNU base in Taungu Township and they arrived in the Thai-Burma border recently says the BBC Burmese program.

The two soldiers Nyan Lynn from Mann Aung Township and U Kyaw Thein from Rathidaung Township in Arakan State were forced to join the military three years ago.

They surrendered to the Brigade (2) of the Karen National Union and arrived in the Thai-Burma border.

In the BBC interview, two soldiers said they fled from their posts in Taungu Township under the Burmese Army Division 77. They said the reason for their surrender was they could not bare the discrimination they suffered for their Arakanese ethnicity and the abuses the military commits on the civilians in the front line areas.

Nyan Lynn said they had been forced by their senior army officers to kill one female teacher and another civilian in 2003 in the front line areas. When they refused to carry out the order to abuse the civilian, the senior officer severely punished them. Hence, they fled the Burmese army, Nyan Lynn said in the interview to BBC.

The two soldiers also said they have no chance of going back to their homes and families after the surrender to KNU, and they will now dedicate their lives to serve the community in the border areas.