Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06RANGOON1061
2006-07-26 08:46:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rangoon
Cable title:
JOHNNY COMES MARCHING "HOME" TO BURMA
how-toVZCZCXRO1413 OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH DE RUEHGO #1061 2070846 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 260846Z JUL 06 FM AMEMBASSY RANGOON TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4880 INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1030 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 9802 RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 4260 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1722 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 3450 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0447 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 6899 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 4515 RUEHCI/AMCONSUL CALCUTTA 0840 RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 0843 RUDKIA/AMCONSUL CHIANG MAI 0540 RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 2786 RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0428 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L RANGOON 001061
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP/MLS; PACOM FOR FPA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/25/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINS BM
SUBJECT: JOHNNY COMES MARCHING "HOME" TO BURMA
REF: A. RANGOON 1013
B. RANGOON 799
Classified By: Poloff Dean Tidwell for Reasons 1.4 (b, d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L RANGOON 001061
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP/MLS; PACOM FOR FPA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/25/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINS BM
SUBJECT: JOHNNY COMES MARCHING "HOME" TO BURMA
REF: A. RANGOON 1013
B. RANGOON 799
Classified By: Poloff Dean Tidwell for Reasons 1.4 (b, d)
1. (C) SUMMARY: The GOB confirmed rumors that Johnny Htoo,
former child soldier and co-leader of Karen rebel faction
"God's Army," surrendered to the SPDC with eight others on
July 19. Along with his twin brother Luther, he briefly led
local Karen compatriots to resist the Burmese Army in the
late 1990s when they were children. The GOB regularly
showcases small bands of armed fighters whom it has enticed
to "return to the legal fold." END SUMMARY.
2. (U) Following rumors for the past week that one or both of
the twin Karen brothers of "God's Army" fame had surrendered,
the regime's daily "New Light of Myanmar" reported on July 26
that Johnny Htoo left a refugee camp in Thailand and
surrendered to Burmese authorities on July 19. Eight others
allegedly accompanied him and handed over a few assorted
arms. Karen sources reported that twin brother Luther
initially planned to surrender, too, but later decided to
remain in the refugee camp with his mother, wife, and child.
3. (U) The twins, who are around 20 years old now, were
co-leaders of a short-lived Karen resistance group in the
late 1990s known as "God's Army." Their followers believed
the twins' success in resisting the Burmese Army was due to
magical powers. "God's Army" gained world attention through
its child soldier leaders and by association with another
radical Karen group that seized the Burmese Embassy in
Bangkok in 1999 and a Thai government hospital a year later.
The twins lived in a Thai refugee camp since surrendering to
Thai authorities in 2001.
4. (C) COMMENT: This latest surrender announcement is yet
another chapter in an ongoing regime ritual of putting small
groups of resistance fighters who have decided to surrender
on public display (ref A). We believe the regime is trying
actively to entice disaffected rebels to "return to the legal
fold" by offers of assistance (ref B). The SPDC wants to
give remaining insurgents the impression they are out of sync
and hopes the trickle of returnees will become a flood. If
not, the regime seems content to drain the insurgent pool one
bucketful at a time. END COMMENT.
VILLAROSA
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR EAP/MLS; PACOM FOR FPA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/25/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINS BM
SUBJECT: JOHNNY COMES MARCHING "HOME" TO BURMA
REF: A. RANGOON 1013
B. RANGOON 799
Classified By: Poloff Dean Tidwell for Reasons 1.4 (b, d)
1. (C) SUMMARY: The GOB confirmed rumors that Johnny Htoo,
former child soldier and co-leader of Karen rebel faction
"God's Army," surrendered to the SPDC with eight others on
July 19. Along with his twin brother Luther, he briefly led
local Karen compatriots to resist the Burmese Army in the
late 1990s when they were children. The GOB regularly
showcases small bands of armed fighters whom it has enticed
to "return to the legal fold." END SUMMARY.
2. (U) Following rumors for the past week that one or both of
the twin Karen brothers of "God's Army" fame had surrendered,
the regime's daily "New Light of Myanmar" reported on July 26
that Johnny Htoo left a refugee camp in Thailand and
surrendered to Burmese authorities on July 19. Eight others
allegedly accompanied him and handed over a few assorted
arms. Karen sources reported that twin brother Luther
initially planned to surrender, too, but later decided to
remain in the refugee camp with his mother, wife, and child.
3. (U) The twins, who are around 20 years old now, were
co-leaders of a short-lived Karen resistance group in the
late 1990s known as "God's Army." Their followers believed
the twins' success in resisting the Burmese Army was due to
magical powers. "God's Army" gained world attention through
its child soldier leaders and by association with another
radical Karen group that seized the Burmese Embassy in
Bangkok in 1999 and a Thai government hospital a year later.
The twins lived in a Thai refugee camp since surrendering to
Thai authorities in 2001.
4. (C) COMMENT: This latest surrender announcement is yet
another chapter in an ongoing regime ritual of putting small
groups of resistance fighters who have decided to surrender
on public display (ref A). We believe the regime is trying
actively to entice disaffected rebels to "return to the legal
fold" by offers of assistance (ref B). The SPDC wants to
give remaining insurgents the impression they are out of sync
and hopes the trickle of returnees will become a flood. If
not, the regime seems content to drain the insurgent pool one
bucketful at a time. END COMMENT.
VILLAROSA