Rai Maroah – The Karen National Union (KNU) will fight the Burmese battalion currently located in the area of the highway being constructed from Tavoy, in the southern part of Burma, to Kanchanaburi, Thailand, which is an area under KNU control, according to KNU.
“The area could see a battle at any time because it is becoming an area of the Burmese Army’s operations. We will fight continuously if needed,” said Phado Saw Khwe Htoo, the chief of KNU Brigade No. 4 from Mergui-Tavoy District.
According to him, KNU Brigade No. 4 fought with the Burmese battalion on the morning of July 28.
KNU soldiers engaged the Burmese army troops based near the camp of the Italian-Thai Construction Company where employees of the company are currently constructing the highway from Tavoy to Kanchanaburi. Following the battle, the workers from the company fled to the Thai-Burma border for safety.
“The workers were afraid even before the attack. The area where they are working is in the territory of KNU movement, and the Burmese government troops are supposed to be providing security for them. Now that they have seen fighting between the KNU and the Burmese troops, they have become even more afraid,” said a coordinator from a human rights watch group concerned with the Tavoy deep-sea project.
The coordinator said some workers from the Italian-Thai Construction Company plan to resign from their jobs because of security concerns.
Italian-Thai negotiated with the KNU on July 16 about relocation issues, the impact of the project on the environment, and the security of the areas along the Tavoy-Kanchanaburi highway construction project. The outcomes of the negotiation discussions have not been disclosed.
