According to Karen military sources, the military has removed Border Guard Force (BGF) personnel from the Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge No. 1 checkpoint in Myawaddy Township, Karen State, and issued orders requiring BGF forces to obtain military permission and submit detailed reports of their personnel and weapons inventory before entering or exiting Myawaddy city. After military columns reached Myawaddy via the Asia Highway with BGF assistance, they displaced the BGF troops stationed at the Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge checkpoint and took control of the position themselves.
Subsequently, the military issued orders requiring all armed groups cooperating with them, including the BGF, to seek prior permission before entering the city and submit detailed information about their troop numbers and weapons. Currently, the military has expanded checkpoints beyond Bridge No. 1 to include locations such as the Trade Zone, Myayni Hill, Light Infantry Battalion 275, Heman U People’s Militia post, Forward Office, and Veterans’ Ward, implementing strict security measures throughout the city and its outskirts. Under present conditions, BGF, DKBA, and PC groups can no longer move independently within Myawaddy city and must travel in convoys.
There is growing discontent among BGF and DKBA forces as the military has begun imposing stricter controls over them after using their assistance to enter Myawaddy. As a result, most BGF troops have redeployed in full force to the Shwe Kokko area. The BGF, also known as KNA, is led by Major Saw Chit Thu, who along with his organization was recently designated as a transnational criminal organization by the United States. The current situation has created tension between the military and its allied armed groups, with observers noting that such strict control measures could lead to potential conflicts in the future.
