Colonel Myo Thant, Deputy Commander of Strategic Operations Command-13 based in Bokpyin, Tanintharyi Region, was posthumously promoted to Brigadier General after being killed during a field inspection when his convoy was attacked by the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA). Military sources confirmed that he will also be awarded a hero’s medal posthumously. The incident occurred on August 25 at 12:15 PM when KNLA forces attacked a three-vehicle military convoy led by Colonel Myo Thant while conducting area clearance operations between Bokpyin and Lenya towns.
In the attack, more than twenty soldiers including Colonel Myo Thant were killed. After the battle, the military retrieved as many bodies as possible and retreated to Bokpyin town. On August 27, Colonel Myo Thant was promoted to Brigadier General rank during his funeral ceremonies. CDM Captain Zin Yaw pointed out several tactical weaknesses in the operation, noting that it was highly unusual and unsafe for a Deputy Division Commander to conduct field operations with only three vehicles in his convoy. He explained that normally even a battalion commander would travel with at least six vehicles for security.
The limited size of the convoy – only three vehicles – was more appropriate for a company commander at the rank of senior captain rather than a deputy regional commander. The posthumous promotion appears to be part of a pattern of honorary promotions given to high-ranking officers killed in combat, similar to how a tactical commander in the Rakhine front was promoted to Brigadier General after death. As Colonel Myo Thant held the position of Second Commander, which is higher than a tactical commander, the military felt compelled to grant him this posthumous promotion.
Colonel Myo Thant was 49 years old at the time of his death and was responsible for overseeing people’s militia forces in Tanintharyi Region. He was a graduate of the 40th intake of the Defense Services Academy and had received a military service medal on January 4, 2023. The Coastal Region Military Command has launched a military tribunal investigation into the incident, specifically examining the role of the Commander of Strategic Operations Command-13. The significant casualties suffered in what should have been a routine area inspection have raised serious questions about tactical decision-making and security protocols within the military command structure in the region.
