DKBA defies govt order to leave territory

The Democratic Karen Buddhist Army is refusing to obey a Tatmadaw order to withdraw its soldiers from Myaing Gyi Ngu in Kayin State, officials said, following a skirmish in the area in late April.

Colonel Saw Eh Kaw Htoo of the Karen National Union Peace Council speaks at a press conference on May 5. (Ko Taik/The Myanmar Times)

A Tatmadaw official ordered the DKBA to leave so that work could begin on the 1200 megawatt Hat Gyi hydropower project.

Colonel Saw San Aung from the DKBA told reporters at a press conference in the Kayin State border town of Myawaddy on May 5 that his forces would defend their territory if attacked.

"If the Tatmadaw tries to force us to withdraw, we will defend ourselves. We can't withdraw from where we belong," he said at the press conference, which was held in a Karen National Union office.

The government, DKBA and Karen National Union had previously agreed that Myaing Gyi Ngu would be a non-conflict zone. However, a skirmish broke out between soldiers from a Border Guard Force – comprising mostly ex-DKBA members – and the DKBA on April 27.

General Saw San Aung said the skirmish was sparked by the defection of a Border Guard Force member back to the DKBA and the soldier who fired at government troops had been disciplined following the incident.

However, on May 2 Colonel Tun Tun Win of Infantry Battalion 338 phoned the DKBA and ordered them to leave Myaing Gyi Ngu because the government is planning to begin work on the long-delayed Hat Gyi project.

“He gave us two days to move out. The deadline was midnight onfMay 4. But we don't have many other places to go from Myaing Gyi Ngu. The border with Thailand is not very far away and if we get too close to the border the Thai soldiers won't accept us," he added.

"We feel like this is unfair. If the Tatmadaw tells us to leave, they should also tell the Border Guard Force to go too,” Colonel Saw San Aung said.

As of May 7 no fighting had been reported in the area. Colonel Saw Eh Kaw Htoo of the KNU said that if fighting did break out, the KNU would intervene as a mediator to assist  the “weaker” side.