Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07RANGOON1168
2007-12-07 09:17:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Rangoon
Cable title:
BURMA: INCREASED ACTIVITY IN KAREN STATE
how-toVZCZCXRO6113 OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH DE RUEHGO #1168/01 3410917 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 070917Z DEC 07 FM AMEMBASSY RANGOON TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6924 INFO RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 0756 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 4303 RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 7847 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 5407 RUEHCHI/AMCONSUL CHIANG MAI 1273 RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1202 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 001168
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP/MLS, DRL, AND IO
PACOM FOR FPA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/06/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM BM
SUBJECT: BURMA: INCREASED ACTIVITY IN KAREN STATE
RANGOON 00001168 001.2 OF 002
Classified By: Pol Officer Sean O'Neill for Reasons 1.4 (b) & (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 RANGOON 001168
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP/MLS, DRL, AND IO
PACOM FOR FPA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/06/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM BM
SUBJECT: BURMA: INCREASED ACTIVITY IN KAREN STATE
RANGOON 00001168 001.2 OF 002
Classified By: Pol Officer Sean O'Neill for Reasons 1.4 (b) & (d)
1. (C) Summary. Karen National Union contacts told us the
Burma Army has been increasing its presence and activities in
Karen State. A recent announcement that the KNU will close a
portion of a major road between Karen and Mon States was not
approved by KNU headquarters and likely came from local
commanders. Kachin Independence Organization contacts have
been unable to confirm Mizzima News reports that tanks have
been seen on the streets of Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin
State, but continued to report increased Burma Army activity
in the region. End Summary.
Karen Violence Greater
--------------
2. (C) Karen National Union (KNU) Intelligence Chief Isaac
Po told Poloff the Burma Army has recently increased its
presence and activities in Karen State. He reported that a
division from the Coastal Command entered the Duplaya
District to conduct joint operations with existing units in
the area. Normally troops are rotated every February, but he
believed the Burma Army has surged its presence in order to
build more roads and clear-cut trees for logging. Daily
skirmishes between the Burma Army and KNLA have resulted in
numerous casualties, higher than usual in the normally
violent dry season. Isaac Po also told us that the Burma
Army has used Democratic Karen Buddhist Army soldiers as
paramilitary forces to attack the KNU. Politically active
Karen, Dr. Simon Tha, corroborated his report, adding that
the Burma Army also asked the Karen People's Front (KPF) to
perform similar operations, but the KPF refused.
3. (C) Both Isaac Po and Simon Tha confirmed that the KNU
announced it will close the KNU-controlled portion of a major
road between Karen and Mon States. Isaac Po said he did not
know about the announcement ahead of time and would not
speculate on the reasons behind it. Both of them pointed out
that this is the first time the KNU has announced such a
move, and noted that the road had benefited both the KNU and
Burma Army in the past resulting in previous tacit agreements
between the two to keep the road open in the dry season.
Isaac Po speculated that this decision came from local
commanders, rather than the KNU headquarters.
4. (C) Isaac Po also discussed limited but increased
cooperation among ethnic groups to take action against the
Burma Army. Simon Tha, while not mentioning cooperation
among these armed groups, said that decentralized networks of
NGOs and religious groups throughout the area have increased
cooperation with the KNU as well. He thought, however, that
the danger of being part of such a network decreased
participants' ability to carry out significant coordinated
efforts.
Other News
--------------
5. (C) Kachin Independence Organization Captain Ko Lone Taung
said he had heard nothing to confirm Mizzima News reports
that tanks were seen on the streets of Myitkyina, the capital
of Kachin State.
6. (C) Oo Win Naing, a member of the Free Funeral Society,
confirmed a media report that the Burmese authorities have
banned a wedding advertisement for the daughter of prominent
actor and political activist Kyaw Thu. Kyaw Thu has already
been banned by the regime's censorship board for his
involvement in the September protests. His daughter is
resident in Australia and is scheduled to be married in
Sydney on December 16.
7. (C) Comment: While it is difficult to determine details
about troop movement in Karen State, our various contacts
confirmed that activity is abnormally high this year, even
for the usually violent dry season. Time will tell whether
the reported cooperation among the various armed groups and
NGOs will materialize into a larger, constructive movement
RANGOON 00001168 002.2 OF 002
against the Than Shwe regime. In 1988 distrust of the ethnic
Burmans prevailed over ethnic minority desires for greater
freedom. This year, at least there is discussion of the
possibility of cooperation. End Comment.
VILLAROSA
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP/MLS, DRL, AND IO
PACOM FOR FPA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/06/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM BM
SUBJECT: BURMA: INCREASED ACTIVITY IN KAREN STATE
RANGOON 00001168 001.2 OF 002
Classified By: Pol Officer Sean O'Neill for Reasons 1.4 (b) & (d)
1. (C) Summary. Karen National Union contacts told us the
Burma Army has been increasing its presence and activities in
Karen State. A recent announcement that the KNU will close a
portion of a major road between Karen and Mon States was not
approved by KNU headquarters and likely came from local
commanders. Kachin Independence Organization contacts have
been unable to confirm Mizzima News reports that tanks have
been seen on the streets of Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin
State, but continued to report increased Burma Army activity
in the region. End Summary.
Karen Violence Greater
--------------
2. (C) Karen National Union (KNU) Intelligence Chief Isaac
Po told Poloff the Burma Army has recently increased its
presence and activities in Karen State. He reported that a
division from the Coastal Command entered the Duplaya
District to conduct joint operations with existing units in
the area. Normally troops are rotated every February, but he
believed the Burma Army has surged its presence in order to
build more roads and clear-cut trees for logging. Daily
skirmishes between the Burma Army and KNLA have resulted in
numerous casualties, higher than usual in the normally
violent dry season. Isaac Po also told us that the Burma
Army has used Democratic Karen Buddhist Army soldiers as
paramilitary forces to attack the KNU. Politically active
Karen, Dr. Simon Tha, corroborated his report, adding that
the Burma Army also asked the Karen People's Front (KPF) to
perform similar operations, but the KPF refused.
3. (C) Both Isaac Po and Simon Tha confirmed that the KNU
announced it will close the KNU-controlled portion of a major
road between Karen and Mon States. Isaac Po said he did not
know about the announcement ahead of time and would not
speculate on the reasons behind it. Both of them pointed out
that this is the first time the KNU has announced such a
move, and noted that the road had benefited both the KNU and
Burma Army in the past resulting in previous tacit agreements
between the two to keep the road open in the dry season.
Isaac Po speculated that this decision came from local
commanders, rather than the KNU headquarters.
4. (C) Isaac Po also discussed limited but increased
cooperation among ethnic groups to take action against the
Burma Army. Simon Tha, while not mentioning cooperation
among these armed groups, said that decentralized networks of
NGOs and religious groups throughout the area have increased
cooperation with the KNU as well. He thought, however, that
the danger of being part of such a network decreased
participants' ability to carry out significant coordinated
efforts.
Other News
--------------
5. (C) Kachin Independence Organization Captain Ko Lone Taung
said he had heard nothing to confirm Mizzima News reports
that tanks were seen on the streets of Myitkyina, the capital
of Kachin State.
6. (C) Oo Win Naing, a member of the Free Funeral Society,
confirmed a media report that the Burmese authorities have
banned a wedding advertisement for the daughter of prominent
actor and political activist Kyaw Thu. Kyaw Thu has already
been banned by the regime's censorship board for his
involvement in the September protests. His daughter is
resident in Australia and is scheduled to be married in
Sydney on December 16.
7. (C) Comment: While it is difficult to determine details
about troop movement in Karen State, our various contacts
confirmed that activity is abnormally high this year, even
for the usually violent dry season. Time will tell whether
the reported cooperation among the various armed groups and
NGOs will materialize into a larger, constructive movement
RANGOON 00001168 002.2 OF 002
against the Than Shwe regime. In 1988 distrust of the ethnic
Burmans prevailed over ethnic minority desires for greater
freedom. This year, at least there is discussion of the
possibility of cooperation. End Comment.
VILLAROSA