The Karen National Union (KNU) Central has strongly denied false propaganda claims by the terrorist military council that alleged the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and People’s Defense Force (PDF) killed 13 civilians during fighting in Laphat village, Kyaukkyi Township, Bago Region. According to KNU’s statement, the incident was perpetrated by the military council’s own troops, who deliberately positioned their forces and affiliated Pyu Saw Htee militias in civilian areas.
During the battle, civilians in Laphat village became trapped in the crossfire, with revolutionary joint forces managing to evacuate some of the trapped civilians to safety. However, when military council reinforcements arrived from Kyaukkyi Township, they conducted indiscriminate attacks using small arms, heavy weapons, and airstrikes, forcing the evacuation teams to leave behind wounded and deceased civilians. The remaining civilians were subsequently arrested by the terrorist military forces.
According to KNU’s ground investigations, the battle resulted in the deaths of 32 military council personnel, including 18 soldiers and 14 Pyu Saw Htee militia members. The military council responded with continuous disproportionate artillery and air attacks, putting civilians at greater risk, though KNLA and PDF joint forces successfully managed to evacuate many civilians from the area. The military council’s false narrative about the incident is believed to have originated from Major Zeya Lin of Battalion 60, who serves as military intelligence. The KNU waited to issue this statement until after conducting thorough investigations to verify the ground truth after becoming aware of these false reports.
The KNU has reaffirmed its commitment to protecting civilians and upholding the truth, strongly condemning the coup military council’s fabricated news reports and calling for independent investigations into the incident. The organization emphasized that revolutionary forces specifically target military council troops and not civilians in their operations. The statement also highlighted how the military council deliberately places its troops and affiliated militias in civilian areas, putting local populations at risk. The KNU’s delayed response to the propaganda was due to their dedication to thoroughly investigating and documenting the actual events before making public statements.
