Despite orders from the Myanmar military for Karen National Army (KNA) forces—formerly the Karen Border Guard Force (BGF)—to withdraw from Myawaddy town in Karen State, KNA troops remain stationed in the town as of January 26, according to local residents.
Residents reported seeing KNA soldiers in uniform at monasteries in the town and at former BGF checkpoints, as well as patrolling the streets in vehicles.
“They keep saying online that the troops must leave, but on the ground everything is the same as before. Nothing has changed at all. We still saw them yesterday—at their checkpoints and on the roads. No one has withdrawn. Everything is calm,” a Myawaddy resident said.
According to leaked minutes from a meeting held on January 19 between the commander of Myanmar military’s Light Infantry Division 22 and the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), individuals wearing KNA insignia were ordered to leave the town by January 25.
The order reportedly instructed KNA forces to relocate to Thitkate village in the Maekanel village tract, at the foothills of the Dawna Mountains near Myawaddy. The military also stated that town security would be handled by the Karen National Liberation Army–Peace Council (KNLA-PC) and the DKBA.
A DKBA official said, “This time, they asked us to submit a list of the groups that would enter the town and requested precise details. On our side, we are still in the process of verification. There are also some difficulties in providing the list, so discussions are ongoing.”
The leaked meeting record also stated that if Battalion No. 275 in Myawaddy town is attacked again, airstrikes have already been prepared.
