KNDO blocks off Kayin State road on possibility of fresh fighting

09 Feb 2023

DMG Newsroom
9 February 2023, Myawaddy, Kayin State

The Karen National Defence Organisation (KNDO), a military branch of the Karen National Union (KNU), said in a statement on Wednesday that the Waw Lay-Htee Ka Palel road section in Myawaddy Township, Kayin State, would be closed to traffic due to the possibility of fighting in the area.

“Any vehicles and motorcycles owned by civilians and organisations are not allowed to pass through the road,” the statement said.

The statement said the road closure would be valid until the end of fighting in the area and that the KNDO would not be held responsible for the potential consequences of non-compliance.

“Military tensions have been running high in Myawaddy Township since 2021 and the military is sending reinforcements to the area. The statement aims at protecting local residents by restricting their travel amid fighting,” said a source close to the KNDO.

The statement followed fierce clashes between the military and a coalition led by the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and KNDO in the Thay Baw Boh, Waw Lay and Htee Ka Palel areas from December 2021 to January 2023, the source added.

Locals report struggling to do business and transport goods due to the closure of the road.

“We face difficulties in doing business and are unable to transport commodities to the urban areas,” said a resident of Waw Lay.

Following the KNDO statement, the military appears to be preparing to launch an offensive along the Waw Lay-Htee Ka Palel road, according to eyewitnesses.

“Junta soldiers were seen deploying along the road. I think the military is making arrangements to conduct an offensive,” said another resident of Waw Lay.

The Thay Baw Boh-Waw Lay-Htee Ka Palel road area has been the scene of fierce fighting between the military and a coalition led by the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and KNDO from December 2021 until the end of January 2023, with more than 10,000 local residents displaced by the fighting.