Karen National Army

The Karen National Army, (Burmese: ကရင်အမျိုးသားတပ်မတော်; abbreviated KNA) formerly the Karen Border Guard Force (Karen BGF), is a primarily Karen Buddhist ethnic army active in Kayin State, Myanmar, which split off from the Myanmar Army in January 2024. The KNA was formed as the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) in December 1994 after the insurgent group split off of the Karen National Liberation Army. Shortly after, the DKBA signed a ceasefire agreement with the Myanmar Army, officially joining the army as the Karen Border Guard Force (Karen BGF) alongside the Karen Peace Force in 2009.^[1] In January 2024, after intensified rebel operations throughout Myanmar, the Karen BGF began distancing itself from the ruling military junta,^[5] eventually splitting off from the Army and rebranding themselves the "Karen National Army" by April.^[6] They completed this transition on 1 January, 2026.^[7]

Tensions with junta and rebranding

After splitting away from the Tatmadaw, the KNA acquires revenue via taxation of gambling and scam businesses in Shwe Kokko and KK Park.^[8] However, shortly after the split, the KNA reportedly rejoined junta forces during the Siege of Myawaddy in April 2024.^[9]

On 1 January 2026, the KNA officially completed its transition to an independent group, with some BGF units transferring out.^[7] KNA officers claim that they will not involve themselves in fighting for either side, and will only focus on internal affairs in Karen State.^[10] Following the transition, the Tatmadaw announced that all KNA forces must leave Myawaddy by 26 January,^[9] creating fears that clashes may erupt in the nearby town of Shwe Kokko.^[11] Shortly after, on 12 January, the junta launched airstrikes on the KNA camps at Oodaung and Thaiktaw, Hpa-An District, injuring 4 KNA soldiers.^[12]

Assistance to the military regime during the Siege of Myawaddy

Multiple sources and analysts showed the KNA took control of Myawaddy after the junta's remaining troops from the 275th LIB retreated, and later facilitated the transfer of junta troops from their base to the 2nd Friendship Bridge. Jason Tower, the Myanmar director of the United States Institute of Peace, said KNA had been playing both sides and that it ultimately pivoted to assist the military regime, "leading to the photo op of the Myanmar flag once again being raised over the base".^[13]

Alleged criminality and U.S. sanctions designation

In May 2025 the United States Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) placed International Emergency Economic Powers Act sanctions on the KNA, Saw Chit Thu, and his two sons, Saw Htoo Eh Moo and Saw Chit Chit. They are designated on two OFAC lists: the Transnational Organized Crime list established under , as well the list of individuals and groups "that threaten the peace, security, or stability of Burma."^[14][15]

The OFAC alleges that "the KNA profits from cyber scam schemes on an industrial scale by leasing land it controls to other organized crime groups, and providing support for human trafficking, smuggling, and the sale of utilities used to provide energy to scam operations". It further alleges that the KNA provides security for the KK Park "scam site".^[15]

On 8 September 2025, OFAC sanctioned 9 individuals and companies associated with the KNA for alleged involvement in supporting scam syndicates.^[16][17] Marco Rubio also labeled the KNA a transnational criminal organization.^[18]

References

1. ^ "Kayin Border Guard Force celebrates ninth anniversary". Frontier Myanmar. 20 August 2019. Archived April 19, 2024 at the Wayback Machine.
2. ^ "All Karen Border Guard Force units to be rebranded as The Karen National Army". Karen News. 2 March 2024. Archived April 8, 2024 at the Wayback Machine.
3. ^ Caleb Quinley & Khun Kali (2024-05-01). "A sanctioned strongman and the ‘fall’ of Myanmar’s Myawaddy". Al Jazeera
4. ^ "Into the lion's den: The failed attack on Shwe Kokko". Frontier Myanmar. 11 May 2023. Archived April 11, 2024 at the Wayback Machine.
5. ^ "Powerful BGF leader Protecting Chinese- Gangs at Shwe Kokko Declares Autonomous Zone in Myawaddy – Colonel Chit Thu also ends Karen BGF’s Proxy Role Under the Junta". Karen Information Center. 26 January 2024. Archived April 23, 2024 at the Wayback Machine.
6. ^ "Karen BGF to rename itself 'Karen National Army'". Myanmar Now. 6 March 2024.
7. ^ ကရင်အမျိုးသားတပ်မတော်ဟု BGF ပြောင်းလဲ. January 1, 2026. The Irrawaddy.
8. ^ ‘Business is back’: BGF adapts under pressure. April 8, 2024. Naw Betty Han. Archived 23 April 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Frontier Myanmar
9. ^ "Loyalties Shift in Myawaddy as Myanmar Junta Calls Armed Groups to Heel". The Irrawaddy. 23 January 2026.
10. ^ တိုက်ပွဲသတင်းကြောင့် ရွှေကုက္ကိုလ်နေပြည်သူများ လုံခြုံရေးစိုးရိမ်. January 4, 2026. Karen Information Center
11. ^ "Locals fear fighting may erupt in Shwe Kokko". Karen News
12. ^ "Junta launches deadly airstrikes on two BGF camps in Hlaingbwe". Karen Information Centre. 13 January 2026.
13. ^ Caleb Quinley & Khun Kali (2024-05-01). "A sanctioned strongman and the ‘fall’ of Myanmar’s Myawaddy". Al Jazeera
14. ^ "Treasury Sanctions Burma Warlord and Militia Tied to Cyber Scam Operations". U.S. Department of the Treasury. 2025-02-08. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
15. ^ "Burma-related Designations; Transnational Criminal Organization Designations | Office of Foreign Assets Control". ofac.treasury.gov. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
16. ^ US sanctions companies and individuals behind Southeast Asian scam centers. September 8, 2025. Al-Jazeera English.
17. ^ Treasury Sanctions Southeast Asian Networks Targeting Americans with Cyber Scams. September 8, 2025. Office of Foreign Assets Control.
18. ^ Imposing Sanctions on Online Scam Centers in Southeast Asia. September 8, 2025. United States Department of State.