Myanmar military admits defeat in border town

Myanmar's military has confirmed it has withdrawn its forces from positions in the town of Myawaddy on the Thai border, after three days of fighting with rebel groups.

Myanmar military government spokesman Zaw Min Tun confirmed on the evening of April 11 that soldiers had to withdraw from their base in Myawaddy town to ensure the safety of their families, after fighting with the Karen National Union (KNU) rebel group.

KNU gunmen began attacking the Myanmar army base in Myawaddy on April 9 and fighting continued for three days. By April 11, KNU spokesman Padoh Saw Taw Nee said about 200 Myanmar soldiers had withdrawn from the base and were hiding on the friendship bridge connecting Myawaddy with the Thai town of Mae Sot.

The KNU spokesman said it was possible the soldiers were still carrying weapons. A Thai border official confirmed that the town of Myawaddy had fallen. Myanmar's Khit Thit news agency had earlier reported that Thai authorities were talking to the soldiers to decide whether to grant them asylum.

Thai soldiers patrol in Mae Sot town, bordering Myanmar, on April 12. Photo: AFP

Zaw Min Tun confirmed that KNU forces had entered Myawaddy town, but did not provide specific information. He said Myanmar and Thai officials were discussing the group of soldiers.

Three days of fighting in Myawaddy have forced thousands of Myanmar civilians to flee to Thailand seeking asylum. Thailand has also deployed military vehicles to increase patrols in the town of Mae Sot.

The border town of Myawaddy is very important to Myanmar’s military government. The estimated value of trade passing through Myawaddy in the past 12 months was $1.1 billion, according to Myanmar’s Ministry of Commerce.

Kyaw Zaw, spokesman for the National Unity Government (NUG), a group of Myanmar lawmakers who resigned after the 2021 military coup and groups opposed to the military government, also announced that "the joint resistance force led by the KNU has captured the remaining military base in Myawaddy".

"This is an important victory for our revolution because border trade in Myawaddy is one of the main sources of income for the military regime," Kyaw Zaw said.

Location of Myawaddy town in Myanmar, bordering Mae Sot town in Thailand. Graphics: Irrawady

Myanmar’s military government is struggling to contain insurgent attacks across the country and stabilize an economy that has been weakened by the coup. The junta-appointed president, Myint Swe, warned late last year that the country risks splitting apart if it fails to tackle the insurgency.

In January, 276 Myanmar soldiers fled to India after clashes with an ethnic armed group in the west of the country. A military plane sent to India to bring them back skidded off the runway and crashed, injuring 12 people.

Huyen Le (According to AFP , Reuters )

Source link: https://vnexpress.net/quan-doi-myanmar-thua-nhan-that-thu-o-thi-tran-bien-gioi-4733411.html