Lieutenant Colonel Saw Kler Doh, the spokesperson for Mutraw (Hpapun) District, a territory of the 5th Brigade of the Karen National Union (KNU), has stated that all effective administrative processes of the coup-regime have been terminated in Hpapun Township.
The Karen Lieutenant Colonel told the KIC that starting from 2021, "In the Hpapun township, the Military Council no longer has any control over administration is ineffectual. Regime control over health and education remain unable to operate. Their offices remain closed, with only minor activity occurring within the military compound. The incessant firing of artillery shells has forced residents in the wards to relocate. As it stands, only a third of the town's population is still residing here.”
The KNU(The Karen National Union) has built -up alternative structures of local administration and governance over many years in their Mutraw zone long before the 2021 coup. However since the 2021 coup the KNU’s peoples administrative zones have considerably expanded, boosted by the influxof CDM professionals including many medical staff and teachers.
Since the beginning of 2022, the KNU/KNLA 5th Brigade issued a directive for all individuals serving under the Junta’s administration to vacate Hpapun Township. However the KNU has indicated that several administrative offices within the township, are presently undergoing a reopening process in Kamarmaung township.
The history of the armed ethnic resistance to Burmese military juntas over many decades, has witnessed the KNU’s 5th Brigade’s achievements that stand out for their development of self-governance based on grassroots participation of thousands of villagers. The creation of the Salween Peace Park which includes the rich biodiversity of wild-life sanctuary, has been recognized internationally.
On August 8, the KNLA 5th Brigade issued another directive, instructing all personnel within various departments and administrative roles operating under the Military Council to tender their resignations.This order comes as Kamarmaung Township falls within the jurisdiction of the KNU 5th Brigade as well.
Lt. Col. Saw Kler Doh continued, "Operating their administrative apparatus in Hpapun proved difficult, prompting them to establish temporary offices in Kamarmaung. It's worth noting that Kamarmaung is situated within the territory of KNU Brigade 5. Despite Brigade 5 issuing a statement in 2022, there has been minimal adherence. As a result, we recently issued another warning just a few days ago."
On August 23, a collaborative operation involving the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) Brigade 5 led to the raid of the Hpapun Police Station located in Ward 1 of Hpapun Township. According to the KNU, during this raid, a firearm and several rounds of ammunition were confiscated.
According to a Mutraw District official, a persistent series of daily attacks is underway on two routes crucial to the Junta troops. These routes include the Hpapun-Kamarmaung road, used by the Military Council, and the Mu Thel road, which leads towards the territories controlled by the 2nd and 3rd Brigades. The intention behind these attacks is to prevent the delivery of food supplies to the Military Council's camp within the territory.
