Former Column Commander Who Left NUG Returns to DKBA Cooperating with Military

Saw Kyaw Thet, a former column commander of the "Jah Phyu" column who left the revolutionary group without complying with the National Unity Government (NUG) Ministry of Defence's orders for troop reorganization and military region transfer, has returned to the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA), which is collaborating with the military, it has been learned. The DKBA, which is under sanctions from the European Union (EU) for providing protection to online scam (Jah Phran) operations, has re-accepted Saw Kyaw Thet and approximately 350 members of his group, and on July 31, the DKBA announced that it has appointed him as the commander of the 3rd Military Command. Saw Kyaw Thet joined the Karen National Union (KNU) after the 2021 military coup and entered the Spring Revolution. Subsequently, he formed the "Jah Phyu" column with young people participating in the revolution against the military dictatorship and served as a strategist in the NUG/MOD Southern Command, overseeing units including the Justice Soldier group. However, when the NUG Ministry of Defence ordered a reorganization of troops and transfer of duties in 2025, the "Jah Phyu" column led by Saw Kyaw Thet did not join the NUG's command and withdrew from the revolutionary force. After parting ways with the revolutionary group, the DKBA, to which Saw Kyaw Thet has now rejoined, is a local armed group that has maintained close ties with the military since the coup. Just yesterday, among the DKBA leaders sanctioned by the EU was Saw San Aung, who became the DKBA Chief of Staff after having previously surrendered his weapons to the military. Both Saw San Aung and Saw Kyaw Thet were expelled from the DKBA in 2015, and Saw Kyaw Thet, who has now left without joining the NUG command, has returned to the group led by Saw San Aung, which is cooperating with the military. Photo caption: Former column commander Saw Kyaw Thet.