Soe Win, the deputy leader of the military junta, has returned to the public eye, but the Aung Zeya Column, which he claims to be leading, has not been able to cross Dawna Range till now.
Soe Win’s Aung Zeya column has to take a month to reach the distance from Mawlamyaing to Myawaddy, which only takes half a day, but every time it advanced on Dawna Range, it was unsuccessful and defeated.
Thingan Nyinaung Battalion,which is the strategic stronghold of Myawaddy Town, surrendered, and many weapons were handed over to KNLA joint forces. Then the state-level Aung Zeya operation, led by Soe Win, was formed. Its purpose is to prevent the fall of Myawady.
The Aung Zeya Column has around 1,500 soldiers. It started to leave Mawlamyine on April 7th and arrived in Kawkareik on April 11th due to the advance attack of revolutionary forces.
However, on the night of April 10th, as the KNLA joint forces attacked and captured the 275th Infantry Battalion based in Myawaddy, the goal of the Aung Zeya operation failed halfway and continued towards the recovery of Myawaddy Town.
On April 12th, the KNLA joint forces waiting in advance at the bridge of Kawtnwe Village outside of Kawkareik Town attacked the Aung Zeya Column. It was unable to move forward. Then, it stopped near Tadan Ku Village for about two weeks again and has now reached Dawna Range.
As the Aung Zeya column is a state-level column, the military junta has supported it with both heavy weapons and aerial strikes to make a step forward on the ground. However, it could not compete with the revolutionary forces having morale and territorial expertise. According to Myanmar Now news, the column could advance only four miles after more than 20 days.
On the night of April 10th, the soldiers of the 257th who deserted and rested their heads on the floor at the foot of the 2nd Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge outside Myawaddy Town returned to the 257th Infantry Battalion in Myawaddy Town on April 23rd under the cover of the BGF (KNA). In the Aung Zeya operation, it can move forward a little bit only after the corpses are paid again and again. However, the administrative sector in Myawaddy town is returned with a hand given to the BGF, which reduces the pressure for the Aung Zeya operation.
However, the BGF is not the Karen Border Guard Force under the military junta any more. It is the Karen National Army (KNA) that is no longer involved in Myanmar’s military. BGF is not decisive or insecure. Therefore, with the help of the BGF, allowing the administrative to operate in Myawaddy Town without any hesitation is not the solution that the military junta wants, nor is it a safe situation for the military junta.
For this reason, Aung Zeya’s column continued to march towards Myawaddy without turning back, and the fact that soldiers were being dropped on Myawaddy Town by air is because it was impatient with Aung Zeya’s column, which was moving like a turtle.
The military junta troops can not only advance from the Aung Zeya Column but also from the Myawaddy side and conduct a two-pronged attack. Not only can they recapture Thingan Nyi Naung, but only if battalions can be re-based in Thang Nyi Naung as before, then the military junta will be able to control Myawaddy completely.
Controlling Myawaddy, the main gateway to Southeast Asia, is both prestigious and important to the military junta. If Aung Zeya’s operation cannot overcome Dawna Range, the military junta troops would be defeated on the Karen front. That’s why Soe Win pushes Aung Zeya Column into the pit of death with a single release order saying that the column must advance to Myawaddy no matter how many are killed. Before long, an answer will come as to whether Soe Win’s goal would be achieved.