Khu Reedu was a teacher at a Karenni refugee border camp for years and an activist before the coup in 2021. He was one of the many civilians who decided to take up arms against the regime after its brutal crackdown on peaceful protesters in the wake of the coup.
Now the adjutant general of the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF), Khu Reedu talked to The Irrawaddy about achievements and challenges facing anti-regime forces in Kayah (Karenni) State and how unity is vital against their enemy.
It has been three years since the KNDF was formed. To what extent has it achieved its goal?
We have achieved the size of an army we had expected, but we are short of weapons. We have yet to do a lot to reach our goals regarding the revolution.
The KNDF has grown into a strong army in a short period over the past three years. What is the reason?
Revolution is not strange to the majority of the people young or old in Karenni State. Hundreds of villages in Shadaw Township were wiped off the map when Myanmar’s military used its four-cuts strategy [designed to cut off food, funds, information and recruits] in its operations between 1994 and 1996. Refugee camps emerged in their place. Since then, people believe they must revolt against the military. There have been many resistance groups in our state, but there is no cohesion between them. This is the lesson that the people need to learn. They won’t be able to make progress if we don’t learn to work together.
In KNDF, we practice a merit system. Assigning younger people to important positions has positive impacts on the progress and development of an organization.
KNDF members come from diverse backgrounds. It is not an easy task to handle them as a single unit. How are they regimented?
What we should understand is there is no democracy in an army. There is only discipline and order. This is the belief that every true soldier must hold on to. Our members come from different racial and religious backgrounds. We have to control with discipline and order.
There are many armed groups in other areas. And frictions emerged as time went by. There are many armed groups, old and new, in Kayah State. What are your groups doing to build unity among them?
We are struggling to build unity. Like in other states, we are still working to establish a single chain of command, under which both old and new armed groups that emerged after the 2021 coup in Karenni State can work together. Unity must be our top priority in Karenni State. We have a history of fighting each other. Most people who have joined the revolt are educated and technicians. But they need to learn from the history. The enemy will be happy if we are disunited. The junta must be watching the situation in Karenni. Speaking of race in Karenni State, we have a history of fighting between brothers. Speaking of religion, we are divided into four or five groups. We have to learn from the folly of previous generations.
What is the biggest challenge facing the KNDF?
The biggest challenge is we can’t fully arm our army.
How much have the resistance forces including the KNDF gained control of Karenni State?
I can’t say certain. There are many battlefields across the state, and things can change overnight. What I can say is the administrative mechanism of the regime has almost collapsed across Karenni State including the state’s capital, Loikaw. You can’t say you have control over a territory if you don’t enjoy support from the residents. We have the Interim Executive Council (IEC) in Karenni State. Judicial, administrative and legislative branches have started operations under the IEC. And we have public support. People are cooperating with us in our administrative mechanism.
What is your view on the conscription law of the regime? How has the law affected the KNDF?
It is a huge threat, in my opinion. We shouldn’t downplay it. We should not view that the regime has resorted to conscription because of defeats. We have a population of over 300,000 in Karenni State. Nearly 300,000 have been displaced by fighting. While some are still in the state, many have been forced to take shelter in other states.
People from Karenni State who were taking shelter in other states were conscripted. The regime would use them to fight us. If so, it would lead to fighting between brothers and relatives, which would breed resentment and grudges within Karenni communities. This is what I am particularly concerned about.
What is the KNDF doing for comrades killed or injured in the fighting?
We still can’t provide compensation for comrades killed in the fighting. But the IEC is planning for it. As to injured comrades, we provide complete treatment and help them recover as much as possible.
The KNDF has captured many junta soldiers in clashes. How does it handle prisoners of war?
We have a policy to punish them depending on their crimes. For example, those who surrender before fighting will get a lighter punishment. Those who only surrender after they run out of bullets would receive a heavier punishment. We have a prison. We jail them depending on the crimes they have committed. We can grant pardons for those who did not commit serious crimes and we follow the prison rules.
The regime has been committing grave human rights violations. Anti-regime forces are also violating human rights. How does the KNDF handle the human rights violations of its members?
The KNDF has formed three military tribunals, at battalion, tactical command and central levels. The decision made by the central-level tribunal is final. You might have heard that some commanders who abused their weapons were given 22 years in prison. No matter how capable a soldier is, if he abuses his gun against civilians or at the rear, he will be punished. We don’t allow our members to abuse their guns.
What is your message to the people on the third anniversary of the KNDF’s founding?
The KNDF is trying to complete the revolt as early as possible. We understand that the resilience of the people is limited. We are fighting hard to materialize the aspirations of people and our dreams.
