There is always the risk in such large scale events that the smaller things go by the wayside.
Last week there were reports that the Burmese military’s 22nd Battallion has been recalled from Karen State to the Rangoon. Indeed a Karen friend along the border has confirmed this is the case.
The 22nd Battallion is one of those notorious groups that instills fear just by mentioning its name. It owes its reputation of course to the 1988 uprising, when it was responsible for firing into unarmed crowds, killing thousands of civilians.
There is always a risk in putting a starved, underpaid and known military battallions in front of a group of civilians to fire indiscriminately upon them that they will lay down their weapons and join the protests. In fact there were reports this week that this is exactly why the Battallion was brought in from Karen State, its shown it doesn’t care for such sentiment, that and its reputation for being a hard, ruthless regiment.
So we know the 22nd Battallions reputation. What I find disturbing is that prior to the recent unrest this Battallion has been stationed in Karen State. Karen State, where thousands and thousands of innocent civilians continue to be killed and forced from their homes. The Burmese military obviously find them threatening, why else would it send in its most feared Battallion?
Its one of those random pieces of information that come you’re way, often it just slides on by. But if we are to track where the 22nd Battallion gets stationed then we must also recognise the other conflicts going on inside Burma right now! Its complex Burma. The current unrest is really only the beginning.
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