Myanmar's military admits defeat in border town.

The Myanmar military has confirmed withdrawing forces from positions in the border town of Myawaddy, near Thailand, following three days of fighting with insurgents.

Myanmar's military junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun confirmed on the evening of April 11 that soldiers had to withdraw from their base in the town of Myawaddy to ensure the safety of their families, following clashes with the Karen National Union (KNU) rebel group.

KNU militants began attacking the Myanmar military base in Myawaddy on April 9th, and fighting continued for three days. By April 11th, KNU spokesman Padoh Saw Taw Nee said that about 200 Myanmar soldiers had withdrawn from the base and were hiding on the Friendship Bridge connecting Myawaddy with the Thai town of Mae Sot.

According to a KNU spokesperson, it is possible the soldiers are still carrying weapons. A Thai border official confirmed that the town of Myawaddy has fallen. Myanmar's Khit Thit news agency previously reported that Thai authorities were in talks with the soldiers to decide whether to grant them asylum.

Thai soldiers patrol the town of Mae Sot, bordering Myanmar, on April 12. Photo: AFP

Zaw Min Tun confirmed that KNU forces had entered the town of Myawaddy, but provided no specific details. He said that Myanmar and Thai officials were discussing the group of soldiers.

Three days of fighting in Myawaddy have forced thousands of Myanmar civilians to flee to Thailand seeking refuge. Thailand has also had to deploy military vehicles to increase patrols in the town of Mae Sot.

The border town of Myawaddy plays a crucial role for Myanmar's military government. An estimated $1.1 billion worth of trade passed through Myawaddy in the past 12 months, according to Myanmar's Ministry of Commerce.

Kyaw Zaw, spokesman for the National Unity Government (NUG), a group of Myanmar parliamentarians who left their seats after the 2021 military coup and groups opposing the military regime, also announced that "the joint resistance forces led by the KNU have captured the remaining military base in Myawaddy."

"This is an important victory for our revolution because border trade in Myawaddy is one of the main sources of income for the military government," Kyaw Zaw said.

Location of Myawaddy town in Myanmar, bordering Mae Sot town in Thailand. Graphic: Irrawady

Myanmar's military government is struggling to fend off insurgent attacks across the country while simultaneously stabilizing an economy weakened by the coup. Myanmar's military-appointed president, Myint Swe, warned late last year that the country risked fragmentation if it failed to address the rebel insurgency.

In January, 276 Myanmar soldiers defected to India after clashes with an ethnic armed group in the west of the country. A military aircraft dispatched to India to bring them back skidded off the runway and crashed, injuring 12 people.

Huyen Le (According to AFP , Reuters )

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