Armed Ethnic Groups Seize 2 Myanmar Military Bases In Kayin, Seize Artillery And Mortars

JAKARTA - The Arakan National Council (ANC), an armed Rakhine ethnic group based in Kayin State, together with the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), managed to defeat the army of the Myanmar military regime in Kayin State.

ANC Commander Colonel Min Tun announced this after the joint forces succeeded in seizing the base of the Myanmar military regime in Hpapun (Mutraw) District, Kayin State on May 7.

The following day, Friday 8 May, joint KNLA and ANC forces easily seized the Myanmar military regime's Oo Thu Hta base in the morning. 

A large number of artillery weapons were also seized in the attack, he added. A number of heavy weapons such as artillery belonging to the Myanmar military regime were successfully confiscated.

"The enemy is retreating because they are short of manpower. It is not a difficult battle that we have to fight for. They asked for help from the Thai authorities and joined other bases," he said.

The ANC, which is estimated to have a strength of about 100 troops, is part of the Federal Council of United Nationalities (UNFC), an umbrella group for ethnic armed forces.

The ANC is one of three ethnic armed Rakhine nationalist groups that operate the army in the country. The other two are the Arakan Liberation Party, which are signatories to the National Armistice Agreement (NCA), and the Arakan Unity League (ULA).

The ANC has been in talks with the government to sign the NCA, but negotiations ended in 2018.

Of the three groups, ULA, established near the Chinese border, is the most powerful militarily. Its armed wing, the Arakan Army (AA), endured fierce clashes with the military in Rakhine and southern Chin State before last year's elections.

"There is fighting on the front lines, however, we are responsible for providing assistance to refugees in these areas," Colonel Min Tun explained about the ANC's involvement in the clashes.

For information, a KNLA official confirmed that the Oo Thu Hta headquarters was burned and destroyed after the weapons found there were confiscated by his troops.

Meanwhile, the KNLA Brigade 5 also captured Thee Mu Hta military base in Hpapun District on March 27 and the Thaw Le Hta outpost on the Thailand-Myanmar border on April 27.

Myanmar Coup. VOI editorial team continues to monitor the political situation in one of the ASEAN member countries. Casualties from civilians continue to fall. You can follow the news surrounding the Myanmar military coup by clicking on this link.