The Karen National Union (KNU) Chairperson Padoh Saw Kwe Htoo Win stated in a letter on Saturday to commemorate the 76th Kawthoolei Day on June 14 that it would join Myanmar’s future federal democratic union under its Karen name, Kawthoolei.
Padoh Saw Taw Nee, the KNU Spokesperson, defined Kawthoolei as a federal unit which is “just and full of self-determination,” adding that the KNU would ensure democratic rights for Karen people, as well as other ethnic minority groups living in the “Kawthoolei federal unit.”
The KNU has designated seven brigades as part of its Kawthoolei territory. They are located in Thaton District of Mon State, Taungoo and Nyaunglebin Districts of Bago Region, Myeik-Dawei District of Tanintharyi Region, as well as Hpapun (Mutraw), Kawkareik (Dooplaya) and Hpa-An Districts of Karen State.
The Institute for Strategy and Policy (ISP – Myanmar) shared on June 12 that KNU-led resistance forces have captured at least 200 regime outposts of varying sizes across its territories since the military coup on Feb. 1, 2021.
Regime forces abandoned its remaining Ngayantni outpost on the Myanmar-Thailand border in Tanintharyi’s Dawei District without putting up any fight on June 12, according to the KNU. Dawei is the region’s capital and located in KNU Brigade 4 territory.
“[Regime troops] fled across the border into Thailand, but I don’t know how they got assistance [from Thai authorities],” Padoh Saw Eh Nar, the KNU secretary for the districts of Myeik and Dawei, told DVB.
The outpost is located 18 miles away from the Bawti outpost, which was seized by the KNU armed wing, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), on June 10. Both outposts are located on the Myanmar border adjacent to Thailand’s Kanchanaburi Province.
Local media reported that the KNLA has seized the regime’s Hteekhee border checkpoint and Hteehta outpost in Tanintharyi since April. KNLA Vice Chief of Staff Saw Baw Kyaw Heh stated in May that the Karen resistance aimed to clear regime forces from Myeik and Dawei districts.
Sources told DVB that thousands of residents were trapped inside Kawkareik town in eastern Karen State since fighting broke out at Myapataing village on June 10. Kawkareik is located 101 miles (162 km) southeast of the state capital Hpa-An and is in KNU Brigade 6 territory.
Local media reported that KNLA-led resistance forces launched an offensive on regime outposts in Kawkareik and Kyondoe in April. At least 20 civilians have been killed, over 30 have been injured, and thousands of residents have been displaced from their homes from regime attacks since April. Kyondoe is located 15 miles (24 km) west of Kawkareik and 40 miles (64 km) east of Hpa-An.
Sources in Karen State told DVB that the KNLA and the People’s Defence Force (PDF) launched an offensive on June 9 against the regime’s Htikapalel outpost in Myawaddy District. A resistance commander told DVB on the condition of anonymity that the outpost was fortified with 80 troops and had a minefield surrounding its perimeter.
Myawaddy is located 40-81 miles (64-130 km) east of Kyondoe, Kawkareik and Hpa-An, and adjacent to Thailand’s Tak Province. It is in KNU Brigade 6 territory. Myawaddy’s Htikapalel, Ukarihta, Wawlay, and Htithellel outposts remain under regime control, according to media reports.
