The military junta, suffering battlefield losses in northern Shan State, is reinforcing its forces heavily along the Thanbyuzayat-Ye-Dawei road in southern Myanmar, according to resistance leaders.
There are currently at least 500 junta troops around Thanbyuzayat and southern Ye townships. On 1 August, an additional force of about 200 soldiers from the Aung Zeya Column was deployed.
“In the north, the allied forces are capturing one town after another. They are now approaching Mandalay. This is the second largest city in Myanmar. They are losing on this front, but if the resistance forces in the south become more active, it will be more difficult for them (the junta). It seems they are trying to open a front in the south before the resistance forces can start here,” said Nai Nagar, spokesman for the Mon State Revolutionary Force (MSRF).
According to southern resistance leaders, the junta forces are conducting operations with newly trained soldiers and the Aung Zeya column, which has been withdrawn from Myawaddy after launching a national-level military operation, to pre-empt the resistance forces in southern Myanmar.
Previously, the Karen armed groups, the Ye People’s Defense Force and the Taung Nyo Column had exercised some control over northern Ye. They withdrew after the junta’s heavy deployment of troops.
The military junta, which is conducting intensive offensives along Union Highway 8 in the Thanbyuzayat-Ye-Dawei section, has been trying to regain control of the area for economic rather than military reasons, Nai Nagar said.
“The junta’s sources of revenue have become very limited because of the international sanctions. So, I think it will try to fully control Union Highway 8 from Mawlamyine to Kawthaung to protect the Dawei deep-sea port project signed with Russia and the Kanpauk natural gas pipeline linked to Thailand, which bring in money, and to secure its economic interests,” Nai Nagar said.
He added that they will continue to fight the enemy, the military junta, with all the forces and weapons they possess and in collaboration with allied groups as far as possible.
A local from Ye also said that there could be a major battle due to the troop movements of the resistance forces and the junta forces.
“We can’t give an exact date and time, but the locals say that there will probably be a big battle. This is due to the junta opening the fronts and expanding its forces between the Mawt Ka Nin-Thanbyuzayat and Mawt Ka Nin-Ye areas. I would therefore urge local people to prepare and gather supplies,” he said.
Currently, junta forces are heavily deployed in villages such as Wea Kha Mi, Hnit Kayin, Lan Wa, Mawt Ka Nin, Kun Kyaik and Hnin Son, where they check, interrogate, beat and arrest passers-by.
Along this route, military tensions between the military junta’s forces and the allied resistance forces remain. There were reportedly at least five clashes in the first week of August when resistance forces intercepted junta columns.
In addition, the Mawlamyine District People’s Defense Force announced on 5 August that no vehicles would be allowed on Union Highway 8 from Thanbyuzayat to Ye and Dawei between 6pm and 6am and warned that any vehicle passing the road would be shot at.
Sent by IMNA.