July 8: Burma’s military junta, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) troops have been launching offensives in Karen National Union (NKU) -controlled regions, and the KNU claimed that the junta is launching the offensive to block media news.

Furthermore, the SPDC is said to be negotiating with other KNU factions, on a one on one basis, to disunite the KNU.

KNU information officer Col Saw Hla Ngwe said the current SPDC offensives are intended to block the media.

“Now that the media is covering the junta’s offensives from the grass roots level, and their human rights and forced labour issues have become known, they wanted to get the upper hand and they will continue with their offensives. They have deployed MOMC (Military Operations Management Command)-15 and MOMC-16 in the KNU regions occupied by brigades 2, 3, 5, and 1. It will not be easy for us as well as them but we have made certain preparations.”

At the same time, the SPDC has stopped bilateral talks with the KNU and preparing to hold separate talks with KNU factions. Some high-level SPDC officers came to Myawadi at the end of June and met some prominent KNU members without the knowledge of the KNU leadership. Phado David Htaw, who was deputy leader of the KNU delegation at all the meetings with the SPDC, said the following:

“We have not sent any official delegation to hold talks. We consider the meeting as personal. The junta is so desperate they will take whatever they can get, whether one, or a few or a group. They have already persuaded people like Phado Aung San, and Mahn Aung Tin Myint, so this is not new. It has been in existence since we began talks in 1996. We would like to remind the revolutionaries to be vigilant.”

Col Saw Hla Ngwe said the following concerning the SPDC’s media-blockade offensive and the underhand trick to organize KNU factions.

“They will have to be aware of the KNU’s activities. Otherwise they will have to face the consequences. If we are slack then we will suffer but we are trying very hard not to be inefficient. Since they started the offensive, we are in a better position in the international arena. We will fight them and the prospects are good for victory.”