Colonel Saw Chit Thu, leader of the Karen State Border Guard Force (BGF), said that he would like to be granted some time before his resignation of a military-affiliated organization comes into effect.
The resignation is a result of involvement in illegal business operations. Nor is he alone.
Brigadier General of the 4th BGF Battalion, and 1022 Battalion Commander Major, Saw Mot Thun also resigned their positions with the Mawlamyine-based Southeastern. Colonel Saw Chit Thu and one other battalion commander have all been forced to resign by the Tatmadaw.
Over the years, various ethnic armed forces had come together under the direction of Tatmadaw. For example, in August 2010, 12 DKBA battalions from the progressive Karen National Army, the Karen Peace Force(KPF) Battalion and the Border Guard Force (BGF) officially formed as an army, under the Tatmadaw with an estimated 3,000 troops. Today their numbers are around 8,000.
Colonel Saw Chit Thu said, “When we talked about the Shwe Koe Ko [mega] project, it hurt the reputation of the Tatmadaw. The BGF was part of the Tatmadaw, we were asked to sign the resignation letter. I mean, [lets] give it some time,” he said in an interview with Mizzima.
He has submitted a report to the Tatmadaw after meeting with BGF forces and subordinate leaders in the battalions.
“If I do something, I do not decide for myself, I have added a letter [addressed] to many others, including my colleagues and the army chiefs. We want them to work with the military for more peace, and in the current situation, it is a little early,” said Colonel Saw Chit Thu in an interview.
Colonel Saw Chit Thu believes his departure will trigger members of the BGF to leave their battalions.
A person close to the Karen Border Guard (BGF) said, “We had a BGF meeting. If Major Saw Chit Thu leaves, all 12 BGF battalions will leave. ”
Events are moving quickly, according to RFA news, all BGF battalions in Kayin State resigned on 15 January,
Further indicators of a crackdown on military-related corruptions has been underway for a while. On August 8, 2020, Zaw Htay, a spokesman for the President’s Office, announced at a news conference that the Shwe Koe Ko mega project in the BGF battalion area, had been found to have exceeded government’s approvals.
