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BKK Post, April 9, 1998. BORDER
- Subject: BKK Post, April 9, 1998. BORDER
- From: burma@xxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 09 Apr 1998 00:21:00
April 9, 1998. BORDER
Top Karen defects to renegades
Logging chief offered 'important position'
Supamart Kasem
Tak
An estimated 38 guerrillas and about 200 relatives have defected from
the Karen National Union to the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army. This was
confirmed by a senior KNU official last night.
The group went over to the DKBA on Monday after Pado Aung San, its
leader and the KNU's former forestry minister, accepted the offer of an
important position, a source said.
Pado Aung San is the first cousin of Phra U Thu Zana, head of the
Democratic Karen Buddhist Organisation, who is lives at Myang Gyi Ngu
Temple on the Salween River. It is also known as the Three Junction
Pagoda by the Burmese. The Pado, formerly a Buddhist, later became an
Adventist.
The group leader is expected to oversee logging operations and protect
DKBA interests in the border timber trade, the source said.
After talks with DKBA officials at a village in Papun district, Karen
state, on Monday, Pado Aung San led his group and their families to the
temple.
Pado Aung San and his followers crossed the border into Ban Mae Wei in
Tha Song Yang district, Tak, in 1995, after his stronghold near KNU
headquarters in Manerplaw was seized by Burmese and DKBA forces.
A source close to Gen Bo Mya, the KNU president, said Pado Aung San had
been a close aide of the KNU leader and trusted by the Karen leadership.
He had helped build a strong army and as forestry minister was
responsible for securing income.
It was possible the defection was linked to allegations of corruption
against him by other KNU members following a drop in income.
Pado Aung San had attributed the drop to the loss of vast areas to
Rangoon and the DKBA, they said. Furthermore, he was said to have been
concerned about renegade attacks on KNU leaders.
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