SUAN PHUNG, Thailand (AP) -- The teen-age twins who led the God's Army rebel group acknowledged on Monday they have no mystical powers to repel bullets and said they want to give up fighting. Wearing oversized soccer shirts, Johnny and Luther Htoo, who led a hit-and-run campaign for three years against the Myanmar military, said their days as soldiers are at an end.

"I want to live as a family with my parents," Luther told reporters at a border police base near the Myanmar frontier with Thailand. "I want to study."

Luther said the God's Army, a rag tag guerrilla group, had 150 soldiers at its peak while fighting to try to win autonomy for the ethnic Karen minority.

When they surrendered to the Thai army last week, driven by hunger and exhaustion, the God's Army had probably not more than 20 followers. Seventeen of them, including the twins, surrendered Jan. 16 and Jan. 17. Luther said he knows of only three comrades still in the jungles.

The twins' legend began around 1997 when Myanmar troops came to their village during a sweep of Karen areas. The mainstream guerrillas group, the Karen National Union, reportedly fled while the twins rallied some men and directed a successful counterattack.

After that, the twins' followers said the boys -- who are Christians -- had powers from God. Their followers believed bullets couldn't hit them and mines wouldn't explode under their feet.

"God sent me to be the leader to fight against Burma," said Luther, who like his twin does not know his exact age. "I am not afraid because God is always with me."

Asked if he has mystical powers to repel bullets, Luther said: "It is not true."

The twins became icons for youthful rebels around the world after the circulation of an Associated Press photograph showed the angelic-looking, long-haired Johnny next to his tougher-looking, cigarette-puffing brother, Luther.

Thai authorities say they believe the twins are 15 years old. But the undernourished boys, who are vegetarians, look little more than 10.

Luther said the God's Army had stopped fighting since they lost their base at Ka Mar Pa Law, just inside Myanmar, in early 2000 when it was attacked by Myanmar forces.

At that time, they became separated from their parents. The parents trekked to Thailand, where they live in one of the refugee camps strung out along the Thai-Myanmar border.

Thai authorities are considering giving the twins refugee status and reuniting them with their parents.

"If God did not help us, we all would have died a long time ago," said Luther. He said he was unsure if he would stay in Thailand.

"If I could go back (to Myanmar) I would," he said.

The twins appeared at the news conference with a dozen armed Thai border police standing guard alongside 12 other God's Army followers, most of them children. The police camp is about 100 miles west of Bangkok near the border.

Officials said all of them have been deloused and given haircuts -- all except Johnny, who had his customary long hair in a ponytail.

"If I have a hair cut, I will get sick," said the waif-like Johnny, gazing timidly at the sky as he spoke.

Asked if they would give up smoking, Luther -- known as a chain smoker -- shook his head.