FFD via The Irrawaddy

 

Karen resistance fighters have recaptured the Myanmar–Thai border town of Mawdaung in Tanintharyi Region, seizing control for the first time in 35 years. The Karen National Union (KNU) and its armed wing, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), launched an offensive earlier this week, driving out junta troops and officials by Friday morning.

 

Mawdaung lies at the Singkhon Pass, opposite Thailand’s Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, and once served as the KNU’s district headquarters until it was taken by the military in 1990. Resistance fighters say the town now falls fully under their control, with regime soldiers fleeing across the border.

 

According to the KNU, the capture is strategically significant, both for border trade and for military positioning. Two outposts and a public administration office were seized, while around 60 junta soldiers reportedly escaped into Thailand.

 

The junta attempted to defend the town with air strikes from Y‑12 utility aircraft, destroying several buildings. Volunteers report that about 1,000 residents were displaced to nearby villages during the fighting.

 

By retaking Mawdaung, the KNU now controls the road from the Thai border to Theinkun village, 54 kilometres inland. Defectors say the military has already struggled to access the area for two years, with the KNLA blocking the main route from Tanintharyi town.

 

The recapture marks a symbolic victory for the Karen rebels, reinforcing their presence along the frontier and highlighting the junta’s weakening grip on contested borderlands.

 

 

-2025-11-16

Not sure I know that much about this conflict.  Do Karen rebels kill their opponents by complaining them to death?  Asking for a friend...