The Burma Army skirmished with Karen National Union (KNU) troops in the KNU Brigade 7 controlled area of Htee Lay Koe Hta in Hlaingbwe Township, Karen State at 1pm on 12 September for 10 minutes.
Both sides exchanged fire after two sentries from the KNU Brigade 7 Special Column fired at a company from the Burma Army 202nd Light Infantry Battalion under the 22nd Light Infantry Division after they entered a KNU-restricted area without informing them.
The KNU are one of the eight ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) that signed the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) with the government in 2015.
Maj Saw Tar Ma Lar, the commander of the KNU Brigade 7 Special Column said to KIC News: “We need to inform each other before travelling from one area to another. The Burma Army didn’t inform us that they would be in the specified area [restricted area] so the skirmish broke out.”
He also said that as far as he knew the Burma Army had suffered no casualties in the skirmish, but KIC News was unable to confirm this.
Major Saw Zorro, head of the KNU Brigade 7 Liaison Office said such incidents should not be happening while the Burma Army and the KNU are trying to strengthen the ceasefire in order to implement peace.
He said: “We didn’t want to shoot them. Everyone should be staying in their own areas that were agreed upon during meetings. Such incidents wouldn’t happen if each side informed the other before moving [out of their area].”
He also said that the Burma Army had not responded to the KNU Brigade 7 Liaison Office’s enquiries or given them any information about the incident.
After the skirmish the Burma Army troops retreated from the KNU Brigade 7 controlled area and the situation is now stable.
A skirmish previously broke out between troops from KNU Brigade 5 and the Border Guard Force in the Wegyi area of Htee Tha Daunt Htar Village Group in Hpapun Township, Karen State on 16 August.
Reporting by S’Phan Shaung for KIC News
Translated by Thida Linn
Edited in English by Mark Inkey for BNI
