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09-04-2024, 04:07 PM
Blow for Myanmar’s military as rebels say hundreds have surrendered at key border town
Thailand PM says army is weakening after junta requests permission to land evacuation flight from Myawaddy across the border. Members of the Karen National Liberation Army and the People’s Defence Force collect weapons after they captured an army outpost in the southern part of Myawaddy township in Myanmar.
Blow for Myanmar’s military as rebels say hundreds have surrendered at key border town
Thailand PM says army is weakening after junta requests permission to land evacuation flight from Myawaddy across the border. Myanmar’s embattled junta has evacuated personnel from a key border position after hundreds of soldiers surrendered to opposition groups, in another humiliating defeat for the army. The military is now on the brink of losing control of Myawaddy, in Karen state, one of most important border crossings in Myanmar crucial to the flow of goods between country & Thailand. It has been controlled by the military for decades.
The likely loss of township will be just latest embarrassing blow for military, which has also lost control of swathes of territory in north of the country, along border with China & India, as well as areas of western Rakhine state. As hundreds of soldiers defending Myawaddy surrendered in recent days, said opposition groups, while junta authorities asked Thai for permission to land an evacuation flight across the border on Sunday. Thai granted request on humanitarian grounds.
Thai PM, Srettha Thavisin, told Reuters Myanmar’s military junta was weaken.
“The current regime is starting to lose strength even if they are losing, they has no power, they have some weapons,” Srettha said.
A commander of an anti-coup group, known as a People’s Defence Force, who spoke from a frontline neighbouring Karen state told l Guardian 617 soldiers & their relatives surrendered, include 67 officers. Only about 40 to 60 govt troops were yet to surrender, he estimated. The commander, whose areas of ops cover Myawaddy, estimated @least 75% of township was under resistance control. Among the large weapon hauls seized were four howitzer artillery guns, earlier, Karen National Union, an ethnic armed grp has long fought against military for independence for ethnic Karen & aligned with wider pro-democracy resistance, reported hundreds soldiers had surrendered Friday, a battalion based in Thingan Nyi Naung, village 12km fm Myawaddy.
‘We will turn gun on military’: hiding out against conscription in Myanmar As Myanmar’s military seized power in a coup in Feb 2021, ousting the democratically elected govt of Aung San Suu Kyi, a move widely opposed by public which plunged country into spiralling conflict. Many civilians took up arms formed people’s defence forces to fight against junta’s brutal rule, some receiving support from older, more established ethnic armed organisations like the KNU, the military has suffered relentless losses since 27 October, when a powerful bloc of ethnic armed groups abandoned an informal ceasefire and launched a coordinated operation in northern Shan State.
The military poor morale & lack of manpower, has introduced mandatory conscription to try to boost its troop numbers – a policy that has horrified young people and led many to flee military-controlled areas. They already stretched thin across multiple fronts, under far greater pressure as it began to lose ground, other groups elsewhere too in the country. Commander who spoke anonymously to the Guardian said some of the troops that surrendered over recent days had previously surrendered in northern Shan state in earlier. They were granted safe passage & relocated to Myawaddy, only to surrender a second time, he said.
Soldiers who surrendered would go through a verification process, those who wanted to return to military-controlled territory would mostly be allowed to go, the commander said, remaining soldiers in Myawaddy who were yet to surrender had previously agreed to do so but reversed their decision when reinforcements arrived. Despite the reinforcements, they’re unable to hold their position for long, We can overrun them soon
Commander also added likely govt military would target their area with aerial bombings. “It’s very difficult to predict their moves. [Junta chief] Min Aung Hlaing is considered a mad dog. There is nothing he dare not do.”
Myanmar: South central Asia Thailand news
Thailand PM says army is weakening after junta requests permission to land evacuation flight from Myawaddy across the border. Members of the Karen National Liberation Army and the People’s Defence Force collect weapons after they captured an army outpost in the southern part of Myawaddy township in Myanmar.
Blow for Myanmar’s military as rebels say hundreds have surrendered at key border town
Thailand PM says army is weakening after junta requests permission to land evacuation flight from Myawaddy across the border. Myanmar’s embattled junta has evacuated personnel from a key border position after hundreds of soldiers surrendered to opposition groups, in another humiliating defeat for the army. The military is now on the brink of losing control of Myawaddy, in Karen state, one of most important border crossings in Myanmar crucial to the flow of goods between country & Thailand. It has been controlled by the military for decades.
The likely loss of township will be just latest embarrassing blow for military, which has also lost control of swathes of territory in north of the country, along border with China & India, as well as areas of western Rakhine state. As hundreds of soldiers defending Myawaddy surrendered in recent days, said opposition groups, while junta authorities asked Thai for permission to land an evacuation flight across the border on Sunday. Thai granted request on humanitarian grounds.
Thai PM, Srettha Thavisin, told Reuters Myanmar’s military junta was weaken.
“The current regime is starting to lose strength even if they are losing, they has no power, they have some weapons,” Srettha said.
A commander of an anti-coup group, known as a People’s Defence Force, who spoke from a frontline neighbouring Karen state told l Guardian 617 soldiers & their relatives surrendered, include 67 officers. Only about 40 to 60 govt troops were yet to surrender, he estimated. The commander, whose areas of ops cover Myawaddy, estimated @least 75% of township was under resistance control. Among the large weapon hauls seized were four howitzer artillery guns, earlier, Karen National Union, an ethnic armed grp has long fought against military for independence for ethnic Karen & aligned with wider pro-democracy resistance, reported hundreds soldiers had surrendered Friday, a battalion based in Thingan Nyi Naung, village 12km fm Myawaddy.
‘We will turn gun on military’: hiding out against conscription in Myanmar As Myanmar’s military seized power in a coup in Feb 2021, ousting the democratically elected govt of Aung San Suu Kyi, a move widely opposed by public which plunged country into spiralling conflict. Many civilians took up arms formed people’s defence forces to fight against junta’s brutal rule, some receiving support from older, more established ethnic armed organisations like the KNU, the military has suffered relentless losses since 27 October, when a powerful bloc of ethnic armed groups abandoned an informal ceasefire and launched a coordinated operation in northern Shan State.
The military poor morale & lack of manpower, has introduced mandatory conscription to try to boost its troop numbers – a policy that has horrified young people and led many to flee military-controlled areas. They already stretched thin across multiple fronts, under far greater pressure as it began to lose ground, other groups elsewhere too in the country. Commander who spoke anonymously to the Guardian said some of the troops that surrendered over recent days had previously surrendered in northern Shan state in earlier. They were granted safe passage & relocated to Myawaddy, only to surrender a second time, he said.
Soldiers who surrendered would go through a verification process, those who wanted to return to military-controlled territory would mostly be allowed to go, the commander said, remaining soldiers in Myawaddy who were yet to surrender had previously agreed to do so but reversed their decision when reinforcements arrived. Despite the reinforcements, they’re unable to hold their position for long, We can overrun them soon
Commander also added likely govt military would target their area with aerial bombings. “It’s very difficult to predict their moves. [Junta chief] Min Aung Hlaing is considered a mad dog. There is nothing he dare not do.”
Myanmar: South central Asia Thailand news
