Buildings and a bridge have collapsed in #Myanmar after an #earthquake so big it caused damage in #Bangkok. Many will need aid, but delivering it likely difficult amid the civil war – and a restrictive military regime. (Video: FB)

7/7: Read the @aljazeeraenglish.bsky.social article for more on Ko Aye and the vocational training. What do you think? Can vocational training help defectors—and ultimately weaken the regime? Or is it the power of military pressure that will tip the balance? #Myanmar

6/7: But not everyone thinks training alone will lead to more defections. Thet Oo, a former captain, says, “Enough time has passed for people to defect or not. Now only military power and pressure will lead to more defections and surrenders.”

5/7: They investigate ex-soldiers before offering training, but they can’t verify if someone’s been involved in atrocities. They say they do pass on info to international courts, though.

4/7: “If Myanmar gets peace, I’ll go back and repair phones there,” he said. He’s part of the first cohort of graduates from the training under advocacy group People’s Goal.

3/7: Among the trainees, Ko Aye, a transgender man who was mocked by colleagues as an airport police officer. After defecting, he trained as a resistance medic, witnessing airstrikes on civilians, then reached Thailand. Now he’s learning to repair phones.

2/7: On the #Thailand Myanmar border, me, Ko David and Valeria visited workshops where ex-soldiers and police are learning phone repair & mechanics – skills to help them adapt to civilian life. Why? To rebuild their lives and encourage more defections.