Civil servants in Papun Township who continued working for the military-appointed State Administrative Council (SAC) after the coup have been sent a letter from the Karen National Union warning to quit their jobs.
The Karen National Union’s 5th Brigade issued the letter on January 29, calling on all civil servants in Papun, Karen State to leave their positions from February 1st to the 10th, and to refrain from performing their duties under the military dictatorship.
Local KNU officials confirmed to Karen News that more than 100 Papun civil servants working in a variety of government departments had left their posts.
Colonel Saw Htoo Ka Shaw, Tactical Commander of the Karen National Liberation Army’s 5th Brigade, told Karen News they received information the civil servants left their work after receiving the KNU notice-to-quit letter.
“According to the list we have, there were 72 women, and 62 men – a total of 134 people have left the area.”
Colonel Saw Htoo Ka Shaw explained the civil servants who left Papun Town were all from government departments – education, agriculture and livestock, judicial, communications and the audit office. Colonel Saw Htoo Ka Shaw said the KNLA had organized travel for some of the civil servants.
The Burma Army has recently reinforced its troops and weaponry in the KNLA 5th Brigade. It has intensified its operations in the eastern part of Papun toward Mae Khu Hta and in the western part of Papun towards the Bler Per areas in the KNU controlled Mutraw district. The KNU’s 5th Brigade said that there are now about nine Burma Army special battalions and large numbers of its Border Guard Force (BGF) militia in the area. The KNLA source confirmed heavy artillery and small arms fire can be heard all day.
The KNU’s notice to quit letter to civil servants warned that anyone who failed to comply within the deadline, the KNU would take immediate effective action.
Sources in the area said the Burma Army’s tactical command in Papun organized a meeting to warn all civil servants not to evacuate the city, but despite Burma Army heightened security on all roads, civil servants made the decision to leave.
Local media reports said senior civil servants were ordered not to leave by the Burma Army, but junior staff had managed to leave the area through KNU controlled routes.
A similar letter to quit was issued on February 8, 2022, by the KNU to civil servants in the Hpa-an Township, Thaton District under the control of the KNLA Brigade 1.
The letter warned all members of the government’s department to resign from their current positions and to not cooperate with the military dictatorship. The KNU-Thaton District social media site warned that it will not be held responsible for any actions as a result of failure to comply with the warning.
