AROUND 400 Myanmar junta troops surrendered together with their weapons to Karen National Union (KNU) and People’s Defence Force (PDF) fighters after they completely captured Myawaddy town, which is opposite the Thai town of Mae Sot, Naewna newspaper said this morning (Apr. 8).
Meanwhile up in the north Kachin Independence Army (KIA) now holds part of a strategic highway linking Kachin state to Mandalay while UN revealed that the number of internally displaced persons has risen to 2.8 million,
Myanmar junta officials had contacted their Thai counterparts requesting the use of Mae Sot airport for their officials to shelter amid fears that the State Administration Council (SAC) will be mounting a counteroffensive to retake Myawaddy. Should this happen it will heat up and affect the Thai-Myanmar border area in Mae Sot district of Tak province.
Most of Myanmar’s overland trade with Thailand passes through Myawaddy.
Both Transborder News together with Spring and Chindwin news agencies said the over 400 Myanmar junta troops who surrendered were from the 75th Rapid Infantry Division based in Karen State with KNU, PDF and Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) forces also able seize a large amount of weapons from a junta base in this zone.
The Myanmar media outlets said the surrender of these 400 troops in Myawaddy town showed declining support for the Myanmar junta and revealed continued weakening of military capabilities and declining morale.
They added that Myawaddy’s fall is considered another important victory not just for the anti-junta forces but all the citizens of the country.
Transborder News also said communications were cut off after Myawaddy’s capture making coordination difficult. Surrendering were battalions 355, 356 and 357, located on the outskirts of Myawaddy with Battalion 275 still holding out.
One news source said this battalion had also surrendered while another said negotiations are still underway.
Shan news agency said there was heavy security at Tachileik town, opposite Mae Sai town in northern Chiang Rai province, when junta leader Min Aung Hlaing had visited during April 1-6 for the funeral of a senior monk causing hardship for the town’s people.
The Irrawaddy news agency said Kachin Independence Army (KIA) had seized a 14-kilometre stretch of the highway linking the northern state to Mandalay after their fighters captured this area three days ago with 50 junta troops having abandoned their barracks and fled.
On the western side of Myanmar, Arakan Army (AA) which is active in Rakhine State, has seized Myanmar junta base at Buthidaung Township with 80 junta troops having been killed in fierce fighting with a number of weapons being seized as well.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) said that of the 2.8 million people displaced in Myanmar 157,000 had to flee in Rakhine state after the Arakan Army launched their new offensive in November last year. With the fighting intensifying these internally displaced persons were suffering from shortage of drinking water.
CAPTION:
Top: Plumes of smoke seen in Myawaddy town from Mae Sot town, which is right across the border. Photo: Naewna
Front Page: Mae Sot airport. Photo: Thai Rath
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