IMNA : Villagers living in the region between Three Pagoda Pass and Thanphyuzayart town fear that that recent encroachment of Burmese battalions into Karen National Union (KNU) territory will result in bloodshed by the close of 2010.
According to the “Human Rights Foundation of Monland” (HURFOM), two Burmese battalions entered KNU-controlled territory area along the Three Pagoda Pass (TPP) to Thanphyuzayart road on January 25th of this year; the KNU controls the portion of the road between Ta Dein village and Weakami village along the main road. The two battalions in question were Tactical Command No. 3, under the control of Military Operations Management Command No. 19 from Ye Township, and Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) no. 402 , under the control of MOMC No. 8 based in Tavoy District.
HURFOM’s July 2009 report explains how hostilities rose between the KNU and the SPDC in 2009, when the SPDC, in conjunction Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), led a campaign against the KNU, which resulted in the fall of its armed wing’s Brigade No. 7.
The sudden influx of State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) forces in the region has sparked rumors that the battalions plan to set up military bases in a region currently under complete control of the KNU, acts that area residents fear will spark revive the conflicts of 2009.
“We don’t know the authorities plans [for setting up a base], but we have never seen so many [SPDC] soldiers enter our area like this, I think they have some plan for a base, but we don’t know their plans completely” a resident from the area explained.
MOMCs No. 19 and 8’s incursions into KNU-controlled territory represent the latest of a series of intrusions made by the Burmese military, into regions controlled by minority political groups. On January 10th of this year, Tenasserim Division-based battalion LIB no. 282 entered Soutwana- buu-mi village, near Bee Ree river in New Mon State Party (NMSP) territory, purportedly looking for bandits. The incursion represented a direct violation of the SPDC’s 1995 ceasefire agreement with the NMSP; sources interviewed for IMNA’s January article on the event to speculates that the invasion was an attempt to place pressure on the NMSP after its refusal to transform its armed wing into a Border Guard Force last fall.
“The authorities, they haven’t had their 2010 election yet, so maybe they won’t fight with ceasefire groups [like the NMSP] right now. After they finish their elections, they probably will want to fight the ceasefire groups, that is why they are here now,” said a political insider in the Three Pagoda Pass region.
Post-2010 elections aside, many residents living along the Three Pagoda Pass to Thanphyuzayart town road claim that the battalions’ presence in the region is already making life difficult; widespread incidents of ration demands and stealing were reported to IMNA.
“The Burmese battalions have moved into the area like guerrillas” a KNU insider claimed.
