The online activists helping Myanmar troops desert

Myanmar activist are using social media to persuade disenfranchised junta soldiers to desert, and using these platforms to vet their authenticity. — REUTERS/File Photo

A team of Myanmar activists working in the shadows is using social media and messaging apps to persuade disillusioned junta soldiers to desert their posts and topple the powerful military.

Sergeant Zay Ya heeded the call, slipping away from his base near Yangon to a car waiting to whisk him towards the Thai border, where he found refuge with ethnic fighters who have clashed with the military.