Reuters published the report on Thursday. This is Colonel Saw Chit Thu, who holds an ambiguous role in the government of Myanmar. And this position gives him important influence over the future of the fight in Thailand’s strategic border region.
This article describes his role in the power struggle on Myawaddy. It is the main trading point on the border between Thailand and Myanmar. which has a working fund of approximately 1,000 million dollars or 30,700 billion baht per year
He is the longtime leader of the Karen National Army (KNA) across the Thai border. And in the past this area was a fierce battlefield. This event reflects the growing momentum of opponents of the Myanmar government.
Saw Chit Thu had good relations with the government army. and received praise from Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, leader of Myanmar, for his excellent military performance in 2022.
However, the colonel was sanctioned by the British for serious human rights violations. And analysts say he is involved in a border scam run by Chinese organized crime networks.
Saw Chit Thu and a spokesman for Myanmar’s military government did not respond to calls from Reuters. Contact to ask for opinions
(Left) Colonel Saw Chit Thu, leader of the Karen National Army (YouTube Screengrab via Prachatai)
At the beginning of April The military wing of the government army was at a disadvantage compared to the Karen National Union (KNU).
Later, Saw Chit Thu, who had previously pledged allegiance to the government army, announced that the KNA armed group he led would no longer receive salaries and a share of support from the army. As a result, the KNA remained silent when the government failed in Myawaddy.
“We don’t want to fight ourselves with the Karen people.” Saw Chit Thu told the media in January.
When the government received no support from the KNA in terms of strategy and logistics in the area. Countering the opponent has become more difficult. This week, according to the United States Institute for Peace (USIP),
The institute estimates that the KNA has around 8,000 employees.
Meanwhile, civil war spreads across Myanmar as the government loses control of many parts of the country. Reuters reports that Saw Chit Thu’s KNA has not fully supported any party.
Of course, he no longer has full loyalty to Min Aung Hlaing’s government as before. But he has not declared a united front with other anti-government groups.
Its position is becoming increasingly clear as the Myanmar government begins to use more weapons. and counterattacked against the opposing side in Myawaddy until the KNU side had to retreat temporarily.
(Right) Colonel Saw Chit Thu, leader of the Karen National Army (YouTube Screengrab via Prachatai)
KNU spokesman Saw Taw Ni told Reuters his team withdrew to about 12km from the area.
Saw Taw Ni said the support of Saw Chit Thu’s KNA faction helped the army in its latest counterattack.
Reuters reported this on Thursday, citing two villagers who wished to remain anonymous. A small group of KNA soldiers played Myawaddy. with a population of around 200,000 inhabitants the situation is calm
“The city is normal.” A 42-year-old villager said. “Government offices open”
The Saw Chit Thu armed group split in 2010 from the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), the defense wing of the KNU, and fights alongside government forces in the fight against ethnic armies
In 2017, Saw Chit Thu was involved in the “Shwe Gok Ko” construction project, which was nicknamed “the “Shwe Gok Ko” construction project. “Special Economic Zone” along the Thailand-Myanmar border
The area has become a hotspot for transnational crime and gambling. which was backed by a Chinese gang and generates revenue for KNA of about $190 million a year according to analysts’ estimates.
The USIP Institute underlines this in recent months Chinese authorities crack down on fraudulent networks in the border area between China and Myanmar until some groups moved to areas near Thailand and some are located in areas under the control of groups led by Saw Chit Thu.
- Source: Reuters
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