DKBA faces choice More Burmese troops in Karen State About 2,000 Burma Army troops have been dispatched to an area controlled by the Karen National Union, a KNU leader said. Mahn Sha, KNU general secretary, said the regime had sent Division 66 nearly one week ago to Taungoo Township of Pegu Division, southern Burma, controlled by the KNUs Second Brigade. I think they may stage another major operation,Mahn Sha said. But Im not sure. In January 2004 the KNU and the Rangoon government reached a gentlemans agreementon a ceasefire in talks led on the KNU side by Gen Saw Bo Mya. Mahn Sha said the KNU planned to have further talks with the regime, but if the dispatch of government troops to the area meant an anti-KNU operation was being staged then KNU forces would defend their positions. The regime blamed the KNU, along with three other groups, for last Saturdays bomb attacks in Rangoon, and also for an attack in April on a convoy of trucks and buses in Ye-Tavoy, Tenasserim Division. The KNU has denied having anything to do with the attack or with the bomb blasts in Rangoon. "Big Burma Army force reported sent to KNU area", The Irrawaddy, May 13, 2005 DKBA faces choice The Democratic Karen Buddhist Army faces a dilemma whether it should surrender or continue the armed rebellion against the military junta. General Maung Bo of the Burma Army attended a meeting in Kaw Kareit Township, Karen State, on May 6-8 with the leaders of the DKBA to entice the cease fire group to surrender to the SPDC. During his trip in Karen State last week, the pro-Rangoon troops were urged to surrender, a Mon senior politician from Kaw Kareit said. It is reported that the Karen National Union also offered the DKBA an opportunity to return to their fold and to continue the armed fight against the SPDC. Since the DKBA is a break-away group from the KNU, the KNU granted amnesty to DKBA members who wanted to return to the fold and fight the SPDC,a senior politician close to DKBA said under condition of anonymity. After the DKBA broke away from the KNU and cooperated with the junta, the DKBA gained more business opportunities, the pro-Rangoon outfit has been actively involved in the illegal vehicle business, logging, and drug trade along the Thai-Burma border. "Surrender or fight: DKBA face dilemma", Kao Wao News Group, May 16, 2005 ~