Government troops and soldiers from the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA) clashed on the new Myawaddy – Kawkareik Asia Highway on the morning of 2 July.
Karen News has been told that the fighting broke out over security for the highway during a planned official visit to the area.
The fighting between the Burma Army Infantry Battalion 231 under Military Operation Command 12 and soldiers from the DKBA under the command of Brigadier General Saw Kyaw Thet resulted in a number of casualties.
Sources told Karen News that one Burma Army soldier was killed in the fighting.
Local sources said that the fighting was caused by a dispute over the security forces to be deployed by the Burma Army in the area ahead of a planned visit by its Division Commander, General Tin Maung Win of South Eastern Military Command, to discuss issues around the new Asia Highway.
Karen News has been told that these issues include: the official opening of the new road, security for planned infrastructure and the streamlining of the number of tollgates run by a various Karen armed groups.
The taxes collected at the various tollgates on the highway by the armed groups have received heavy criticisms from traders and other road users.
Edited in English by Mark Inkey for BNI
