Sangkhlaburi – Karen guerrillas ambushed a military convoy of the Burmese Army and Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) Kaowao has learned.

According to a liaison officer from the Karen National Liberation Army, a military wing of the KNU, troops from Light Infantry Battalion No. 356 led by Lt. Col Zeya Win was attacked by the Karen near Zee Hnapin village on August 11, 2009. Two Burmese Army soldiers were killed and another was seriously injured.  LIB No. 356 is active along the motor road of Thanbyu Zayat in Mon State and the Three Pagodas Pass Thai-Burma border town.

Another troop battalion LIB No. 283 was also attacked by the KNLA guerrillas.  The ambush on August 10 occurred near Lut Shan village located between Thanbyu Zayat and Anan Kwin.  The troops were on route to replace LIB No. 356’s position.

The Burmese Army and DKBA joint forces have been launching a military offensive against the Karen National Union (KNU) along the border area capturing some bases under the control of the KNLA Battalion No.201.

A check-point officer from the New Mon State Party said: “It would be difficult to launch an offensive against the KNU during the rainy season. The roads are bogged down and it is difficult to find enough food for the men because the local villagers do not have enough food for themselves.” 

About seventy soldiers and thirty porters led by Saw Naw-Taya of DKBA Battalion No. 907, who have just arrived at the Three Pagodas Pass, have ordered local village headmen to provide their troops with rice. 

Meanwhile, many villagers have fled from their village to avoid being press-ganged into portering for the BA. A Karen villager who recently arrived at Three Pagodas Pass said the BA is asking every villager on their way for one basket of rice or 10000 Kyats.

The KNU has changed its military tactics from a war of position to a war of movement launching guerrilla offensives to counter the Burmese Army into their areas.  The Burmese Army offensive is targeting several camps of the KNU which has been waging the world's longest running civil war. The Karen have been fighting for autonomy since Burma gained independence in 1948 and is rarely reported in the international media.