An interview with Khu Daniel, Deputy Defense Minister of the Karenni State Government
October 6, 2022
Following the coup, the Karenni State has seen anti-coup protests and armed resistance. Since then, a combined force of the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF), the People’s Defense Force (PDF) and local armed groups including the Karenni Army (KA), has been engaging in armed resistance against the military council.
There were intense fighting between the battalion under No.66 Division Southern Command based in Bago Region including the regional battalions in Karenni State and local defense forces in Phruso Township.
The structure of Division-66 has changed due to the death of the battalion commander, heavy casualties and defection of soldiers who joined the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM). The KT interviewed Khu Daniel, Deputy Minister of the Karenni State Government and the Karenni Army (KA) about the situation of Battalion-66 in Karenni State and the current situations in the country.
Q: May I know the involvement of No.66 Battalion in the fighting in Karenni State and the current situation?
A: At the beginning, No.66 Division had a full set-up. The military sent four battalions first and then six battalions. However, there were around 2,000 soldiers at the beginning. Now around 700-800 soldiers have been killed in the battles. The military has no full set-up if the total number of soldiers has declined to nearly 1,000. Majors, battalion commanders and company commanders were killed in the battles. It is difficult to command and control the army if it has no officers. The military has suffered heavy casualties. At present, the military is carrying out the collection of troops as it has no full set-up. The military clashed with local forces. However, no other fighting is as intense as the clash with No.66 Division. There were clashes with local battalions.
Q: May I know your comment about the fact that the set-up of Division-66 has been damaged?
A: It is true that the set-up of Division-66 has been damaged. Everybody knows it. A lot of members from Division-66 were killed.
Q: We have heard the news that even majors from Division-66 were killed in the battle. How can you confirm it?
A: At the beginning, the majors participated in the Kyauksaekan battle. I myself saw the dead bodies of the soldiers. I can know their ranks by looking at their seals and emblems. I know who died in the battles when the military council released the order. I cannot immediately know which battles the majors were killed in. However, I have the means to know it later. The public also knows it. The soldiers who defected themselves told us. The funeral services have borne witness to it. We can know it by looking at their uniforms, seals and emblems. The military is not in a position to hide it.
Q: The junta troops stationed in the villages of Phruso Township where Division-66 is mainly active have withdrawn. Why?
A: The junta soldiers are stationed in the temporary camps. Their main purpose is to gain control of the Union road. The military has a plan to send rations and ammunition if it can control it. The military is trying to do it. The military has a plan to control Loikaw-Mawchi road. The military troops are stationed in the areas where they arrive. The junta forces withdraw as the resistance forces attack the camps. Not all junta troops withdraw. For instance, the junta soldiers remain in new Ngwetaung and Thaetaung villages. They have withdrawn from Hteepawso and Kadarlar.
Q: Which message do you want to convey to the locals who mainly rely on the highland farming although the military is withdrawing its troops?
A: They (the military) will not think about the interest of the public. The military will be happier if the public cannot do farming and faces hunger. The military withdraws as they face ambush and suffer casualties. They withdraw when the revolutionary organizations attack their temporary camps. The move aims to control the Union Road. They have set a goal to control it. It can be said that the withdrawal is temporary.
Q: How does the fighting in Karenni State go ahead?
A: Since the coup, we have been engaging in fighting with a view that we will stand up for the public. We are not fighting Division 66 alone. We must fight the troops under the military dictatorship. We must fight across the country in cooperation with other EAOs and democratic revolutionary forces. We have not adopted the policy of fighting till the deaths of all soldiers. We have had ways of how to restore power to the hands of the public. The revolution will come to an end if the military returns power to the public and surrenders to the public. We will fight until power is restored to the public.
Q: How does the KA cooperate with local armed organizations?
A: Since the coup, some armed organizations have existed in Karenni State. They made a ceasefire in the time of the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP)-led government led by U Thein Sein. The ceasefire continued in the time of the National League for Democracy (NLD)-led government led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. There are no clashes between armed organizations. These organizations have to rely separately. We adopted the plans for reconciliation. But it was not effective. Some organizations emerged following the coup. They are PDFs such as Demawso PDF and Loikaw PDF. The formation of these forces became the KNDF. All forces are not included in the KNDF. There is a separate PDF under the National Unity Government (NUG). The KNDF emerges based on the state.
The already-existed armed groups hold frequent discussions on how they proceed with politics and military affairs. The Karenni State Consultative Council (KSCC) is formed for political affairs while the KNDF is aimed for military affairs. At present, there is no combination of armed groups. Before the coup and the ceasefire, there were clashes between the armed groups. We fight against the groups which cooperate with the military council. Later, we stood separately. Now, the combination of armed groups is likely to happen gradually. We hold discussions and jointly fight. However, they don’t want to reveal their names. The KA openly issued the statement about its resistance. However, other organizations do not do that. The armed groups are required to do it gradually and collectively. We should not make revolution based on the single organization, region and party alone. Now the entire people have joined the revolution. We need to do revolution based on the public and a state. I want everybody to know it.
Sent by Maw Mi Myar (Kantarawaddy Times)