Female Soldiers Join Patrols On Yangon-Dawei Highway
By Network Media Group
Monday, July 10, 2023
Female soldiers, some of whom have combat experience, have joined their male counterparts on routine patrols along the Yangon-Dawei (also known as Tavoy) Highway, which is controlled by civilian defence forces in Taninthari Region.
“We’re trying to control this area. It’s so important for us to eliminate everything related to the Military Council on Road No. 8 to show that we’re committed to fighting the regime and our way home isn’t far,” an officer of the Tavoy People’s Liberation Force (TPLF) told NMG.
The TPLF and a network of other armed groups opposing military rule have been stopping motorists, including buses and trucks, on the road in southern Burma since the first week of July.
A statement from the group said, “The “Dawei-based PDF forces will continue its operation on the highway and asks all travellers to support our mission. For security reasons, we’ll be checking all travellers on the highway.”
The other groups include the Kan Bauk Defence Force, Way Hin, Zinyaw, Taninthari, Yayphyu People’s Defence Forces and the Dawei National Liberation Army.
According to the statement, the Karen National Liberation Army and the PDFs have been trying to take control of the highway from Yangon to Dawei in Mon State, which borders Taninthari Region, since June.
