In Karen State’s Kyaindone town, Border Guard Force (BGF) leader Major Maung Win Aung, along with his family members and troops, have fled to Mawlamyine and Hpa-an cities following offensive operations by the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and allied forces. Major Maung Win Aung had amassed considerable wealth through illegal activities in the Kyaindone region, including drug trafficking, operating gambling establishments, and running illegal checkpoints for extortion.
On April 15, KNLA and allied forces attacked and destroyed Major Maung Win Aung’s gambling establishments, drug distribution centers, and extortion checkpoints along the Kyaindone-Kawkareik road, including the checkpoints at Layhtaing, Chaungzar, and Nwakankone. As a result of these attacks, approximately 50 BGF troops abandoned their positions and fled with their respective units.
Major Maung Win Aung was originally a motorcycle taxi driver in Kyaindone before joining the KNU/KNLA Peace Council forces. After being arrested by the Southeast Command for drug trafficking, he secured his release by paying hundreds of millions of kyats in bribes. He subsequently joined the BGF in Hlaingbwe Township and obtained the rank of Major in the Kyaindone BGF through bribery. He also appointed his younger brother Myint Aung as a major in the force.
Currently, Major Maung Win Aung has ordered his followers and family members to relocate to Zarthapyin Kyarlay village in the Hpa-an district. They have been instructed to move their gambling tables, fishing game machines, household furniture, and even pets. He has warned his followers that fighting in Kyaindone city may continue for about three months, making it difficult to return to the city, according to sources close to the situation.
