Internal Military Spies Aid Myanmar’s Pro-Democracy Resistance in Significant Advances

The Myanmar military, previously considered formidable, is experiencing internal divisions, infiltrated by spies secretly assisting pro-democracy rebels, as discovered by the BBC. A BBC World Service investigation indicates that the military exercises full control over less than a quarter of Myanmar’s landmass. While the junta maintains command of major urban centers and is still deemed “extremely dangerous” by the UN special rapporteur on Myanmar, it has ceded substantial territory during the last 12 months. These military personnel acting as spies are referred to as “Watermelons,” a term signifying their outward appearance of military loyalty (green) while secretly supporting the pro-democracy rebels (red), whose symbolic color is red. A major stationed in central Myanmar stated that the military’s harshness motivated his defection. Kyaw [not his real name] recounted, “I saw the bodies of tortured civilians. I shed tears.” He further questioned, “How can they be so cruel against our own people? We are meant to protect civilians, but now we’re killing people. It’s no longer an army, it’s a force that terrorises.” The UN reports that over 20,000 individuals have been arrested and thousands have died since the military’s power seizure in a February 2021 coup, which initiated an uprising. Kyaw initially considered leaving the army but, in consultation with his wife, concluded that becoming a spy