Karen BGF to rename itself ‘Karen National Army’

The Karen Border Guard Force (BGF) says it is planning to rebrand itself as the “Karen National Army,” completing its break from Myanmar’s military. Major Naing Maung Zaw, the spokesperson for the Karen BGF, confirmed the move on Tuesday, telling Myanmar Now that the group would make an official announcement later this month. “We have reached a general agreement, but we still have to present the idea to our rank-and-file troops before we fully implement it,” he said. He added that the BGF has had no communication with the Myanmar regime since it declared in January that it would no longer accept salaries or other forms of financial support from the junta. It also declared that it would remain “neutral” in the ongoing conflict between the regime and the Karen National Union (KNU), despite its longstanding role as a proxy of Myanmar’s military. Naing Maung Zaw said the newly formed KNA would focus on maintaining “local peace” and would not initiate any actions against junta forces in areas under its control. The Karen BGF has four regional commands, with a total of around 5,000 troops stationed in Hlaingbwe, Hpapun, Myawaddy, and Kyainseikgyi townships. According to political analyst Than Soe Naing, the new KNA would likely align itself with the KNU, although the true motives of the BGF leaders remain unclear. Karen National Liberation Army commander-in-chief General Saw Johnny, left, with Karen BGF leader Saw Chit Thu in June 2021 (KIC) Late last month, Myanmar Now reported that the BGF had begun imposing taxes on employees of casinos and other businesses operating in the notorious Shwe Kokko Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Myawaddy Township. One worker who spoke on condition of anonymity said that Yatai International Holdings Group, the Chinese-based corporation that owns an 80 percent stake in the Shwe Kokko SEZ, had begun providing military training to its security staff and was recruiting “new militants.” “Yatai is putting the security staff through military training in batches so that they are ready when they have to go to the front lines,” he said. Asked to comment on this, BGF spokesperson Naing Zaw Mang said that recruiting new members is something that military forces have done throughout history. In late January, Karen BGF leader Saw Chit Thu met with Vice Senior General Soe Win, the second in command of Myanmar’s junta, amid moves by the Karen BGF to dissociate itself from the military after months of stunning defeats at the hands of armed groups opposed to its rule.

Karen BGF to rename itself ‘Karen National Army’

The move, which has yet to be officially announced, is seen as the latest step in efforts by the Border Guard Force to distance itself from Myanmar’s military

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