August 22nd, 2022
The Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA) – a breakaway group from the Karen National Union (KNU) – has officially begun wearing chest insignia of the ‘Kawthoolei Armed Forces’. This is the first step towards the reunification of Karen armed forces, DKBA leaders confirmed.
The KNU headquarters sent the chest badges to DKBA headquarters a few days ago and they have started wearing them to promote unity, said a DKBA commander who did not want to be named.
“The badges were sent by Thaybawboe to our army chief. I am not sure if he is wearing the badge. I have only been wearing it since Wednesday. There can be no problem because it’s about unity. And most of our members in the eastern Dawna Hills have also started wearing the badges, but not all of them,” he told Karen Information Center.
The commander added that currently the military units of DKBA brigades in the eastern part of the Dawna Hills and the central brigades have started to wear the badges, that more chest badges are being printed and that this is a practical approach to unity.
On August 3rd, senior leaders of the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), including General Saw Johnny, met with their counterparts led by General Saw Steel of the DKBA and agreed on five points, including reunification.
The five points include a verbal agreement on the realization of reunification between the two sides and the decision that soldiers of other ranks from both sides should wear a joint temporary chest badge for reunification.
The chest badge, the first step toward reunification, was first worn by KNLA Deputy Chief of Staff General Baw Kyaw Heh at the Karen Martyrs’ Day celebrations on August 12th and later by Lieutenant Dar Baw, who leads the Cobra Column in the Lay Kay Kaw area.
In July this year, the announcement of the formation of the Kawthoolei Army by Major General Nerdah Bo Mya, former head of the Karen National Defense Organization, sparked a series of criticisms among Karen people.
The Karen armed forces – KNLA, KNDO, DKBA and KNU/KNLA – PC agreed on a six-point agreement to form the Kawthoolei Army (KAF) by reuniting the organizations, and the leaders signed and released a statement on October 13rd, 2014.
However, the reunification efforts only culminated in high-level meetings between the armed groups, and the KNU/KNLA- PC has not yet joined the move to wear the same chest insignia.
Sent from KIC.
