Military Regime in Myanmar Suffers Major Defeat on Eastern Border with Thailand
The military regime that seized power in Myanmar three years ago faced yet another significant setback, this time along the eastern border with Thailand. In a series of clashes spanning weeks, troops encountered relentless assaults from ethnic Karen insurgents, supported by other anti-coup factions.
The crucial border town of Myawaddy, responsible for facilitating much of Myanmar’s overland trade with Thailand, fell as hundreds of guarding troops opted to surrender. The Karen National Union, leading the insurgency, announced the acceptance of surrender from a battalion stationed in Thanganyinaung, just west of Myawaddy, showcasing a cache of seized weapons in a celebratory video.
Negotiations ensued over the weekend with the remaining battalion within Myawaddy, culminating in their apparent agreement to surrender. This latest defeat compounds the junta’s recent territorial losses along the Chinese border in Shan State and in Rakhine State near Bangladesh.
The junta’s forces, grappling with mounting casualties, surrenders, and defections, have resorted to conscripting the populace to replenish their ranks. The Karen National Union’s resurgence, rooted in its decades-long struggle for self-rule, gained momentum following the 2021 coup, nullifying a longstanding ceasefire.
Given its proximity to Yangon and strategic position toward the Thai border, Karen State emerged as a refuge for dissidents fleeing post-coup crackdowns. The KNU, in collaboration with other insurgent groups like the Karenni Nationalities Defence Force and the Kachin Independence Army, intensified attacks on military outposts.
The junta’s loss of a formidable militia, formerly aligned with it but now supporting the opposition, further tilted the balance in Karen State. Stretched thin by conflicts across Myanmar, the military failed to fortify its positions in the region, losing control of crucial border routes.
Responding to these setbacks, the junta escalated airstrikes on insurgent-held territories, triggering mass displacement and exacerbating the humanitarian crisis along the Thai border.