CNI News
7 October 2024
The unity was needed among the Pa-O armed groups in Myanmar, said Col. Khun Okkar, patron of the Pa-O National Liberation Organization (PNLO) on 4th October, 2024.
Col. Khun Okkar urged Pa-O armed groups to build Pa-O national unity as soon as possible while he was talking about forming an interim council dated 29th September 2024.
Because the unity among the armed groups in the Pa-O regions collapsed, Pa-O people were suffering a variety of trouble, said in the statement.
Pa-O people play an important role in carrying out to solve the conflicts taking place among the Pa-O armed groups as well as to have a unity among them, Col. Khun Okkar told CNI News.
While seeing the statement urging to form an interim council
" Pa-O people play an important role in building the unity among the Pa-O armed groups. The Pa-O people led by monks request again and again and the way the people intervene is the best and the most peaceful way because any armed group has to depend on the people. If the people don't support, don't like the armed conflict and object to the armed conflict, designating it's not beneficial to the people, the armed conflict can't last for long. If the armed conflict took place, it wouldn't break out in a big way. After the conflict ceased, if armed groups cooperate, we can say it's unity. Now that the conflict has been taking place for over six months, we have to watch any more of a little time and to re-organize gradually kind of." he said.
There are four Pa-O armed groups and they are the Pa-O National Organization (PNO/PNA) that is cooperating with the Tatmadaw, the Pa-O National Liberation Organization (PNLO) that is led by Col. Khun Okkar, the Pa-O National Liberation Organization (PNLO/AD) that is led by Col. Khun Thurein and the Pa-O National Federal Council (PNFC) that is led by Khun Myint Tun.
While seeing troops of the PNLO/PNLA
The PNLO led by Col. Khun Okkar will go on the NCA path and the PNLO/AD led by Khun Thurein is fighting against the Myanmar Tatmadaw, making allies with the PNFC and supporting the Spring Revolution.
Battles are breaking out in the Special Region-6 that has been controlled by the PNO/PNA and the unity is broken among the Pa-O armed groups.
If there was no unity among the Pa-O armed groups, it was unlikely to go on; there were tensions ideologically in military and politics; there were external influence on both sides and it could adversely impact on the people, Col. Khun Okkar told CNI News.
While seeing the PNO/PNA
" There hasn't been such a bad conflict for the time being, but an ideological tension. There are military and political tensions, but they haven't widely spread yet. There are external influence on both sides. The elements that have seceded from the NCA have been influenced by the BGF or the Spring Revolution. So, the people might suffer." he said.
On the other hand, as the Tatmadaw that becomes weaker has used the militias more, the people might find it difficult, pointed out military and political analysts.
So, an army which the Pa-O people could rely on must be built so that it could maintain the conflicts and the reason why an interim unity council was call was to implement these tasks, said Col. Khun Okkar.
