Myanmar Spring Chronicle – November 24 Outlook
(MoeMaKa, November 24, 2025)
Fighting Between DKBA and KNLA South of Myawaddy; Airstrikes on Gold-Dredging Barges in Min Kin
On November 21, clashes broke out between the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA) and allied Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) forces near the villages of Min Lekkpan and Ingyin Myine, south of Myawaddy.
According to reports, KNLA-led forces raided a cyber-scam compound operated under DKBA protection, capturing over 20 DKBA troops and seizing 176 firearms along with ammunition.
Early accounts indicate that DKBA troops guarding scam compounds in those areas opened fire first, prompting KNLA forces to storm the compounds. News outlet KIC reported that the DKBA unit, led by Commander Bo Thakhwar Thee, initiated the shooting from inside the scam compound, triggering KNLA’s counter-attack.
Meanwhile, other reports suggest junta forces were engaged in simultaneous fighting with KNLA troops near border zones close to Thailand.
Although the DKBA is not officially under the junta’s command, it continues to attend junta-organized “peace forums” and NCA commemoration ceremonies. The group also recently issued statements supporting the junta’s planned elections.
The incident marks an alarming breakdown in the informal non-aggression pact among Karen armed organizations. Analysts say it remains unclear whether this was an isolated local conflict or whether both sides will move to resolve the issue through dialogue.
The DKBA is much smaller than BGF/KNA, the larger Karen Border Guard Force led by Bo Chit Thu, but has relied on border trade taxation and protection payments from scam operations near Kyauk Khat, Min Lekkpan, and Ingyin Myine as a primary source of income.
Earlier this month, the United States imposed sanctions on four DKBA commanders over their links to transnational cyber-scam operations. With increasing international scrutiny and simultaneous pressure from China and the U.S., border-based armed groups are being forced to reassess their complicity in scam activities that generate significant revenue but invite global condemnation.
Airstrikes on Gold-Dredging Barges in Min Kin
In a separate development, the junta carried out airstrikes on gold-mining barges along the Chindwin River in Min Kin Township, Sagaing Region, according to local reports.
The area’s gold-dredging operations—run by local PaKaF and PaAF groups to raise funds—had drawn environmental protests in recent weeks. Residents had held at least three demonstrations objecting to ecological destruction and water pollution before the attacks took place.
During the airstrikes, several barges were set ablaze or sunk, with at least a dozen people reportedly injured.
Under the NUG’s Ministry of Defense, local People’s Defense Forces (PDFs) and People’s Administration Teams often extract natural resources or collect local taxes to finance operations. While these measures have provided revenue, they have also sparked friction with villagers concerned about environmental damage and loss of livelihoods.
Similar tensions have been reported elsewhere in Sagaing, including along the Ayeyarwady River, where residents protested against gold-dredging operations earlier this year. The airstrikes in Min Kin appear to have targeted such contested sites.
Observers note that the NUG and its forces must draw lessons from these incidents—where local discontent over resource extraction has coincided with junta attacks—and refine how revolutionary administration manages both public relations and sustainability in liberated areas.