Ye, April (21)
Mon armed resistance forces are still in desperate need of weapons and ammunition in their campaign of the anti-regime spring revolution movement to overthrow the dictatorship, the fighters told Than Lwin Times.
Following the military coup on February 1, 2021, more than 500 armed resistance forces have sprung up in the midst of the junta army’s increasingly harsh crackdowns and breaches of human rights.
After the military coup, armed forces representing the Mon ethnic group, such as the Mon State Defense Force (MSDF), the Mon State Revolutionary Force (MSRF), the Mon Liberation Army (MLA) and the Ramanya Army, emerged in Mon State.
Even though the Mon State Defense Force (MSDF) was established more than a year ago, there are still challenges in military operations, according to Dr. Thiri Mon Chan, chairman of the MSDF’s political and military steering committee.
She said, “The New Mon Party and the military council have agreed to a ceasefire in the state’s southern region. We are collaborating with young people from Tanintharyi and Mon State in the south. However, equipping the armed forces is a major issue”.
She added that the Mon State Defense Force (MSDF) has asked the National Unity Government (NUG) and its Ministry of Defense to arm them, but they have not received any weapons until today.
The Mon Defense Force (MSDF) was established in September 2021, and is divided into two groups: the MSDF-North, which recruits new members and provides military training, and the MSDF-South, which conducts operations.
Dr. Thiri Mon Chan said, in more than a year, the MSDF has conducted at least five recruitments and given military training for the third time, but they are not satisfied with the military strength.
On April 11, the Ramanya Army and the Tanintharyi Regional Force announced that they will fight as alliances in accordance with the political and military policies of the Mon State Defense Force (MSDF).
Nai Nagar, a spokesperson for the Mon State Revolutionary Army (MSRF), told Than Lwin Times, “There is a plan to launch an offensive in cooperation with allies, but there are many limitations in terms of weapons and strategy. If we can overcome these limitations step by step, we can accelerate the operational momentum”.
The MSRF is preparing for new operations after learning lessons from the past, recruiting new members, and sending their comrades to military training conducted by the allies, Nai Nagar added.
Five comrades from the MSRF attended the completion of the 4th intake of training on Special Operations Force (SOF) held in February in the KNU Brigade 6.
The MSRF changed its name from the Mon State Defense Force (MSDF) in January this year to counter the junta in a more effective way due to the current political situation and other reasons.
Currently, the armed forces of the Mon ethnic group are carrying out military activities in the Mon ethnic areas of Ye Township and Tanintharyi Region, which have been imposed under martial law by the military council.
News – Than Lwin Times
Photo: MSRF
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