A video from Myanmar showing armed fighters of the Kawthoolei Army carrying guns is being shared with a misleading claim that the clip shows visuals of Kuki militants crossing the Indo-Myanmar border and entering Manipur to create further unrest in the state.
BOOM found the video is from Myanmar and shows militants from the Kawthoolei Army, an ethnic armed group who are fighting for the independence of the Karen state. The Karen, Kayin, Kariang or Kawthoolese, are an ethnic minority in the Karen/Kayin state bordering Thailand.
Several unrelated images and videos from bordering Myanmar have been shared as visuals of the conflict in Manipur.
Manipur has recently witnessed an outbreak of ethnic clashes that claimed more than 100 lives in the north-eastern state since May this year. In view of the violent situation, Union Home Minister Amit Shah called an all-party meeting to restore normalcy in the state. However, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi questioned the relevance of the meeting questioning the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue.
In the 23-second long video, some people in army uniforms can be seen walking through a road. The people can also be seen carrying military ammunition such as guns in their hands.
The video is being shared with a caption, "This is said to be the video of Kuki militants crossing Indo-Myanmar border into Manipur. A Lt. Gen. rank officer of Indian Army was ridiculed because he spoke exactly the same thing. Looks like tension about to rise in Manipur."
Click here to view the tweet.
Fact Check
BOOM went through the replies on the tweet and found that several Twitter users replied that the video was from Myanmar. One such user replied to the tweet with a YouTube link carrying a longer version of the same viral video.
Taking a cue, we found that the longer video was uploaded on May 3, 2023, on the YouTube channel named Karen Flag Channel. The caption with the video mentions it to be the visuals of 'Kaw Thoo Lei Army'.
The exact sequence can be seen from 1 minute 50 minutes to 2 minutes 15 seconds in the longer video.
Upon further observation, we noticed that the YouTube channel uploaded several videos related to the Karen ethnic armed forces. We were also able to spot the Kawthoolei Army (KTLA) insignia present on their uniform in the longer video.
BOOM Myanmar also verified the same and confirmed that the people speaking in the video can be heard speaking in the Karen language.
Below is a comparison between a scene from the longer version of the viral video and the insignia of the Kawthoolei Army.
Myanmar Now on July 21, 2022, reported that the Karen National Defence Organisation (KNDO) then announced the formation of the Kawthoolei Army under the leadership of its former commander-in-chief Saw Nerdah Mya.
The article also stated that the Karen National Union (KNU) removed Mya from his role in January 2022 and in a statement mentioned that Mya’s Kawthoolei Army would not be recognised by the KNU or the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA).
The report states, "In June of last year, the Myanmar military accused around 30 KNDO troops under the leadership of Saw Nerdah Mya’s lieutenant Saw Ba Wah of murdering 25 construction workers who they had taken hostage; they were found dead with their hands tied behind their backs in the Waw Lay area of Karen State’s Myawaddy Township."
Al Jazeera on May 6, 2022, reported that Myanmar’s oldest major ethnic armed group, the Karen National Union (KNU), performed a crucial role in the country's anti-coup resistance as its military seized power on February 1, 2021.
(With Inputs from BOOM Myanmar)
