KNU awards bravery medals for recapture of strategic outpost near former Manerplaw headquarters

Mizzima

The Karen National Union (KNU) has awarded the prestigious Kawthoolei Bravery Medal to two senior officers for leading the successful recapture of Point 913, a strategically important military outpost near the historic former KNU headquarters at Manerplaw which had been under junta control for three decades.

Lieutenant Colonel Saw Khin Lay, commander of the Karen National Liberation Army’s (KNLA) Guerrilla Forces Command, and Lieutenant Colonel Saw Tin Myint Htoo, leader of Battalion 22 under Brigade 7, were honoured for their leadership in the December 2024 offensive that reclaimed the historic site.

The medals were officially presented during Karen National Armed Forces Day on 5 July, according to a statement released by the KNU Central Committee on 7 July.