Reports: Myanmar Muslim Revolution Force Drone Team Operates Amid Military Airstrikes and Conflict

What happened

DVB English reports from a special three-part podcast series 'War and Love: Stories of Love in Times of Conflict' that features personal testimonies from individuals involved in Myanmar’s armed resistance since the 2021 military coup. In the second episode, it profiles Ma Yu and Ko Lin Myat, members of the Myanmar Muslim Revolution Force (MMRF), who formed the Power of Ababi People Defense Force drone team based near the Thai-Karen border in 2023.

Outside Brief is treating this as a source-led account. Any disputed responsibility, casualty figure, battlefield claim or single-source assertion should be treated as unconfirmed/hearsay unless confirmed by another reliable source or a named official. The report details how Ma Yu, initially a university student and assistant teacher in Mae Sot near the border, joined MMRF following the 2021 coup and later became involved in drone operations. Alongside Ko Lin Myat, she volunteered for drone training in April 2023 and left her teaching position. The two fell in love during training, married in secret against family wishes, and remain committed to the revolution despite the inherent dangers.

According to the podcast, the Power of Ababi drone team faces significant operational challenges, including detection and jamming by Myanmar military forces. The group suspends operations in the rainy season and develops or produces some drone types themselves to overcome technical limitations. Both Ma Yu and Ko Lin Myat share responsibilities across logistics, drone production, training comrades, and conducting missions, often working together due to limited personnel.

Known from the source

• The Myanmar Muslim Revolution Force (MMRF) founded the Power of Ababi People Defense Force drone team in 2023.
• Ma Yu and Ko Lin Myat joined the drone team and trained in April 2023.
• The drone team operates near the Thai-Karen border.
• The Myanmar military uses jammers to detect drones.
• The drone team pauses missions in the rainy season and produces some drones themselves.

What remains unclear

Ma Yu recounts harrowing experiences, including climbing steep mountains in challenging conditions and witnessing intense military airstrikes near Karen areas that involved up to sixteen bombs dropped—her first exposure to active warfare. The report thus offers a rare personal window into frontline realities for resistance fighters on the Myanmar border, illustrating the intersection of personal relationships, technology adoption, and ongoing conflict.

What remains unclear: Confirm whether the central claim is corroborated; until then treat it as unconfirmed/hearsay. Verification of military airstrike details and casualty figures described by Ma Yu. Confirmation of the scale and exact functions of the Power of Ababi drone team from independent or multiple sources. Clarification on the identity of actors responsible for the described airstrikes.

Evidence note

This story contains report-led claims. The article keeps those claims attributed and treats them as unconfirmed/hearsay unless independently corroborated.

Original source: DVB English. Open the source.