A joint team of the Tatmadaw and the Karen Border Guard Forces cleared the New Mon State Party (NMSP)'s outpost near Ka Na Lo Village in the Mon State’s Kyaikmaraw Township on Saturday (June 23) afternoon and cut down the Mon flagstaff, according to local residents.
On condition of anonymity, a resident of Ka Na Lo Village told the Mon News Agency that the joint team, which comprised around 50 troops, cut down the flagstaff and handed the NMSP flag over to Ka Na Lo Village Administrator.
“All of them were wearing Burmese military uniform so people thought they were all from the Tatmadaw. The Karen people living in the village knew [that some of the troops were from the BGF]. They said some of their friends from the BGF were also included [among the joint team],” he said.
Around 10 NMSP troops that were stationed at the outpost left that morning after receiving a tip so the local residents did not hear any sound of gunfire.
The NMSP has not confirmed the rumors of some bullets and accessories gone missing from the NMSP outpost.
An official from the NMSP, who did not want to be named, said the Tatmadaw South Eastern Command informed the NMSP that it has not instructed Kyaikmaraw-based 208th Light Infantry Battalion (LIB-208) to clear the NMSP outpost.
According to a bilateral agreement signed by the government and the NMSP in 2012, both sides have agreed on setting up the NMSP outpost at Pein Hne Taung near Ka Na Lo Village (estimated map reference LT-723 845).
Although the NMSP signed the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) on February 13, it is still facing obstacles in joining the state/regional-level Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC-S).
