An interview with Secretary of KNU-Brigade-6 (Dupalaryar District) September 6th, 2021
The KIC interviewed Padoh Saw Lar Stan, Secretary of the Karen National Union (KNU) Dupalaryar District about armed conflict, activities of the terrorist military council’s troops and the KNU’s stand, in the KNU-Brigade-6 (Dupalaryar District).
Q: May I know the current armed conflict in the Brigade-6 and the KNU’s handling of the situation?
A: Our attitude is that we don’t like the enemy’s operations and invasion. There will be encounters if the army invades the places where our troops are active. On September 1st, there was an encounter. The military council’s troops are going everywhere. We have got the report that the deployment of military council’s troops (LIB-32) between Kyarinseikgyi and Kyaikdone in the Battalion-17 has stymied the villagers. Locals are concerned about it every night. We want these troops to return to the battalion. Locals told us that they do not want military activities as locals face a loss of more than 40 chickens when the troops are stationed. Locals don’t dare to report it to the other side (army). The land where the army was stationed in Kyaeik village is owned by locals. Our members cleared it after the withdrawal of troops in order for locals to do their farming. The army said it wanted to buy the camp. The news on the KNU’s seizure of the military camp was circulated on social media. The military officers from the above said the army wanted to buy land from locals as the seizure of the camp may lose the dignity of the army. Locals want to do farming and don’t want to resell their land. There may be problems when the army is present. I have reported it to the above. But I have not received any directive yet.
Q: There is widespread criticism about the emergence of a directive by Dupalaryar District in recent days, in the media and among the Karen community. As a district secretary, how do you want to explain about it?
Q: I have difficulty in the explanation of this matter. But one point is that my words that appeared in the interviews with the media are in accordance with the KNU’s stand and attitude. But the letter of the District Chair is food for thought. It is not suitable for him to say exactly. We can say it exactly only after a thorough meeting on this matter. The KNU’s attitude and stand is to safeguard the public. Here the term “the public” doesn’t mean the Karen nationals alone. The district chair shall also have sympathy towards the people displaced by the oppressions of the incumbent governments. But I stand firmly with the KNU’s policy to safeguard the public.
Q: I have heard the news that there is a massive deployment of the military council’s troops. May I know the number of troops?
A: It is difficult to say that. According to my estimate, the army has no sufficient number. The army has reinforced its troops with the help of the military-back Border Guard Forces (BGF) as it has no sufficient number. The army has to summon the troops from other regions and districts. For instance, there is no sufficient number in the coastal region command or the south eastern command. I don’t know what the BGF’s political stand is. The BGF is doing the work ordered by the military council. We cannot know the exact number of troops although the army is carrying out reinforcement.
Q: May I know the current situation in Battalion-16?
A: At present, the situation is still stable in the battalion-16. But it is difficult to exactly say how many members the army has after the fighting took place on Khalal-Tagundaung side. Now no big activities are found yet. But the army will always be active when it becomes strong. The army’s ambition is to destroy us. According to the reports from the ground, there are no big operations. The situation remains stable.
Q: It is found that the military council is carrying out more offensive operations and military activities in many areas of the KNU. May I know your review?
A: At present, I think the military council would not open the new frontline. But the current work may be just a phoney war. It is not sure whether the army first makes peace in Kachin State in northern Myanmar if it actually implements work. No plan to resume fighting in Arakan State. The army’s preparations in the KNU area are not the big ones. It will become the really big one if the army makes preparations. The army uses a ploy to show that they are ready to fight in all places. Although there are big military offensive operations in Brigade-1, 2, 3 and 5, the army wants to show that it can make such offensives in Brigade-6, 7 and 4. The army wants to show that it has many forces even if it actually has no sufficient number of troops. We have experienced big battles before. I have never seen such preparations. We have been in conflict with the army in the brigades where the conflicts are taking place now. We have been working on business, development and peace affairs here. We should not look down on the enemy even though the army doesn’t fight us.
Q: Do you have anything to add?
A: I have nothing special. We are monitoring the central’s directives. Our leaders are working by means of politics. In practice, the leaders have held dialogues for peace in order to solve the political problem on the negotiation table. But we are to prepare for defensives as there are the enemy’s activities. Whether fighting takes place or not depends on the enemy’s activities. Our side doesn’t start the battles. Although it is a good thing that our leaders want to come to the table to solve the political problem by political means, according to the enemy’s tactics the enemy is buying time without any political talks. There will be a battle if the army solves the problem by military means. If possible, we want to solve the problem by peaceful means.
Sent by the KIC.
