DKBA won’t go give up the fight

The Kayin State Democracy and Development Party (KSDDP) based in Hpa-an in Karen State, announced in the state-controlled media that it did not recognize the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army and claimed that the group undermines peace and stability of the State under the name of DKBA.

The KSDDP’s statement ran in the state run newspaper, The New Light of Myanmar, recently claimed the DKBA was finished as it had been formed into a Border Guard Force in accord with the constitution. The paper said.

“There is no more DKBA any longer, [the] KSDDP’s statement says. Consequently, the KSDDP affirmed that it does not recognize the organization under the name of DKBA undermining peace and stability of the State.”

Major Saw Hsan Aung, a commander with the DKBA Brigade 5, told Karen News, that KSDDP’s media statements was ordered to by the country’s ruling party, the Union Solidarity and Development Association leading member, the Prime Minister, U Thein Sein.

“People from this party are ordered, word-fed and are the mouth piece of [PM] U Thein Sein government. Civilians already know that there is DKBA. The Government want us disappeared, and they are trying to deceive all the ethnic and international community.”

The DKBA pointed out that the statement run in the state-controlled media had a number of inaccuracies – it misspelled the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army as the Democratic Karen Buddhist Association and got the dates wrong about the formation of the Border Guard Force stating incorrectly that it was formed on 18 August 2011 instead of 18 August 2010.

The statement was also broadcast on Padauk Myay Brocast Station.

The DKBA’s Major Saw Hsan Aung, said its 5th Brigade, led by Brig-Gen Saw Lah Pwe started fighting on election day on 8th November 2010 and continues to work and fight alongside the Karen National Union’s army.

DKBA 5th Brigade, Military Head Quarters, responded to the ‘Union of Myanmar Government’s Announcement 1/2011’, that the “invitation to peace talks” was worthless as it did not include the whole State.

The former KSDDP Myawaddy Township Northern organizer, Saw Poe Kli, who joined with the KNU early this year said.

“The [KSDDP] party is not related to the DKBA. The Government wants DKBA to disappear. But the reality is that Na Khan Mway [Saw Lah Pwe] and Major Saw Beeh are still fighting against the Burma Army – they’re still wearing their [DKBA] insignia.”

The Karen State Democracy and Development Party was founded by Chairman Saw Tha Htoo Kyaw, Vice Chairman Saw Aung Ngwe and Secretary Saw Than Mya before the 2010 elections and the current Karen State Economics Minister U Sai Chit Hlaing is from the KSDDP party.