Ye Chaung Phyar, 18 August
Karen National Union’s Central Executive member Padoh Saw Taw Nee confirmed to Than Lwin Times that there is no discussion within the organization regarding the formation of the 8th Brigade in the southern Mon State’s Ye Chaung Phyar region.
The KNU, a powerful ethnic resistance group that is involved in the eradication of the military regime is rumored to be forming the 8th Brigade in Ye Chaung Phyar region.
Over the last two months, certain media outlets close to the military regime reported that the KNU had organized the 8th Brigade in Ye Chaung Phyar and would base its headquarters at Ye Chaung Phyar.
Regarding the news that a new KNLA brigade will be formed, Pado Saw Taw Nee said, “We have not heard that Brigade 8 will be formed. The 27th Battalion is not Brigade 8, but it is under Brigade 6. The KNLA troops often patrol No. 8 Union Road”.
“Furthermore, as long as the military dictatorship exists, no organization is good for the Karen and Mon people, so ethnic armed groups must work together to wipe out the military regime while avoiding misunderstandings among them, according to Padoh Saw Taw Nee.
The KNU signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) with seven ethnic armed organizations in 2015 under former military general and president U Thein Sein.
However, the KNU no longer recognizes the NCA treaty due to the coup and provides military training to anti-coup young people who left the cities and fought together in the Spring Revolution.
On the other hand, the troops from KNLA’s Battalion 27 and PDF members began to control the area on 18 June along No. 8 Union Road, Mawlamyine-Ye-Dawei-Myeik in the Southern Military Region of the NUG’s Ministry of Defense.
At the time, widespread criticism surfaced on social media among Mon people that the KNU had organized the PDFs operating in Ye township to expand the territory and form the Brigade 8.
An ethnic affairs analyst said that the news that the Brigade 8 would be formed was an incitement by the military to create conflict between the Mon and the Karen, and that it would be impossible for the KNU to build an administrative body in the area where the majority of Mon people live.
The Karen National Union (KNU) is composed of seven Brigades: Brigade 1, Thaton District; Brigade 2, Taungloo District, Brigade 3, Nyaunglaybin District; Brigade 4; Dawei District; Brigade 5, Phyarpon District; Brigade 6, Dooplayar District ; and Brigade 7, Hpa-an District.
Currently, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and the PDF Forces are conducting inspections at three locations along No. 8 Union Road on Mawlamyine – Ye – Dawei – Myeik route.
The Ye Chaung Phyar is the headquarters of the New Mon State Party (NMSP), a Mon ethnic armed organization.
News – Than Lwin Times
Photo: KNU