Jury Chai and Thu Rein : Fighting between Infantry Battalion (IB) No. 405, Coastal Region, Tenasserim division, which provides security at the Three Pagoda Pass (TPP), and Karen Nation Union (KNU) brigade 16, arose in Chaung Zone village and nearby Kyon Mi Pyin village two days ago and resulted in two villagers deaths.
Myo Myint Aung, the captain of IB No. 405, Column 1, two polling booth commanders, and the election committee from Kyainnseikyi Township Sub-Commission traveled to TPP to provide security, install polling booths for the upcoming elections, and raise the newly changed (October 21) Burmese national flag.
When Captain Cha Pow, the leader of KNU brigade 16/2 heard that 63 Burmese soldiers were travelling from Kyainnseikyi Township to Three Pagoda Pass, he prepared his military unit for conflict, reported a source from NMSP. The fighting began the day before yesterday (October 27) at 7:45 a.m.
The two villagers who died were Nai Hayok, 35 year old male, and Mi Hakun, a woman 30 years of age. These two villagers were caught in the crossfire of the conflict, on their way to perform hillside rice cultivation. They were killed near Ze Phyu Taung mountain .
Currently, Burmese police and the Military Affairs Security Unit (Sa Ya Pha) are inquiring into the death of the two villagers, says a source close to the Burmese government at TPP.
News of the conflict was reported at 9 a.m. on October 28th from Captain Bado Saw Thet Nay of KNU brigade 6. Captain Bado Saw Thet Nay reported that two KNU fighters were injured from a mine in the area, while three soldiers from IB No. 405 were killed and two injured during the battle.
Infantry Battalions are changed every six months. This past September 27th, the former battalion remained, and the Military Operation and Management Command No. 19 arrived at TPP, resulting in two battalions to patrol the TPP area. The path that the IB No. 405 took, around Kyainnseikyi Township, Taung Zone village, has experienced fighting before, but a member of the Authority Union at TPP is unsure who was involved in previous fighting.
