In the evening of January 13, the Myanmar Army (Tatmadaw) and the Karen Border Guard Force (BGF) reportedly withdrew their troops from the Hinthar Dine checkpoint near the junction of Palaing Japan and Guu Bar villages.
“We met with Chief strategist [from the Tatmadaw] yesterday (Jan. 13). They told us they would leave the place,” reported Lt. Col. M Seik Chan, deputy leader of the New Mon State Party (NMSP) central administration area.
An estimated 30 soldiers from the Tatmadaw army and the Karen BGF demolished their makeshift camp at Hinthar Dine checkpoint and headed to Three Pagoda Pass Town by four vehicles.
However, a Palaing Japan villager, said the Tatmadaw army flag placed at the Hinthar Dine Checkpoint has not yet been removed.
“Their flag is still there. One of the yards where they [established] a base [still has] sharp fences. Who will clear them? It is not clear whether there are any land mines or not,” he added.
On November 27, about 100 Burmese troops and a joint force of the Karen BGF entered the NMSP’s military bases in Paliang Japan village without prior permission, sparking an armed confrontation.
The Tatmadaw and the Karen BGF occupied the Palaing Japan village and the NMSP office in the area for a week before relocating their troops to the Hinthar Dine checkpoint, which is not far away from the village.
The NMSP has accused the Tatmadaw of violating the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) by entering the NMSP military base without following the proper protocols.
The 1995 ceasefire agreement signed with the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC under the Na Wa Ta government allowed the NMSP to establish military bases in several areas in Karen State. The NMSP also signed a state/union-level ceasefire agreement in 2012, followed by the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) in 2018, which designated 19 areas for NMSP permanent bases.
