Karen National Union (KNU)- affiliated group has been collecting business- related taxes from plantation operators in Yebyu Township, Tanintharyi Region, since the third week of March.
According to residents, the tax collection is being carried out by members of Battalion 27 under KNU Bridge 6, as well as Battalions 9, 10, and 12 under Bridge 4.
A resident from Yebyu said that members of these battalions are collecting 20000 kyats per acre from those operating rubber and betelnut plantations, and between 500,000 and 1 million kyats from those involved in trading activities.
“Villages along Highway No. 8 have been ordered to pay the tax since late March, with residents being told to pay immediately and raise any concerns later,” a Yephyu resident said.
Although the KNU informed some local administrative bodies in advance, most received no prior notice, and business operators were not given clear explanations about the tax collection.
A resistance source also said that the KNU has not yet coordinated or discussed the tax collection with other revolutionary groups in the area.
“There has been no coordination with Mon resistance groups or PDFs in the area regarding this plan. If it continues this way, it could undermine unity among revolutionary forces,” the source said.
Meanwhile, Padoh Saw Eh Nar, secretary of the Myeik–Dawei District of the Karen National Union (KNU), told IMNA he was not fully aware of the situation.
“I haven’t heard anything about it yet. I will check with people on the ground,” he said.
The stretch of the Union Highway No. 8 from Alaesa Khan village to Kaleinaung town is jointly controlled by Mon resistance forces, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), and the People’s Defence Forces (PDF), with troops stationed along the route.
There are at least 20 Mon villages along the route, where most residents rely primarily on agriculture for their livelihoods.
