Nerdah Mya dismisses criticism, presses on with Kawthoolei

Gen Nerdah Mya, commander-in-chief of the Kawthoolei Army (KTLA), said criticism and support are both normal after the proclamation of the Republic of Kawthoolei, and said the time has come to “open a new door” for Karen people worldwide to build a country of their own.

In a telephone interview with Nation TV on January 9 2026, Nerdah Mya said it is natural for other countries and neighbours such as Thailand to watch the situation closely because the move amounts to a formal declaration of independence from Myanmar’s rule. The proclamation was made at Ugeki camp, Sukali village, Waw Lay township, Myawaddy, Myanmar.

Nerdah Mya said doubts about whether the Republic of Kawthoolei can truly become a reality are expected. Even though the Karen National Union (KNU) issued a statement saying it would not give weight to the declaration, Nerdah Mya said the KNU has become “a snake with no venom” after the death of the late leader Gen Bo Mya. The interview said KNU leaders in the next generation lacked political clarity, and that ceasefire talks should have advanced the question of Karen territory—where Karen people would live—but did not produce concrete results.

The interview also accused the KNU of instead shifting into “inappropriate” business activities and failing to follow Karen KNU policy. Nerdah Mya said this is why the moment has come to rebuild confidence among Karen people who have fought the Myanmar government for more than 70 years, and to make a choice between remaining with Myanmar or governing themselves. The message said the KNU has not been clear on this, and that some Karen people felt constrained by the KNU but could not act.

On questions raised in Myanmar and overseas that the declaration was aimed at fundraising abroad, Nerdah Mya said this was not true. The stated goal was to show Karen people worldwide who they are, and to say the time has come for a country of their own. The interview said Karen people have lived under Myanmar’s laws for a long time without better lives, and that Karen supporters inside and outside the country have backed the armed group’s push for freedom.

Nerdah Mya said the decision to establish the Republic of Kawthoolei had been considered carefully over the past eight years, supported by a Karen team including older figures inside the country and younger Karen abroad who have knowledge and ability and serve as advisers. The interview said the world has changed, and that simply fighting the Myanmar government day by day makes it impossible to develop a country. The message expressed hope the international community will recognise the new entity.

The interview said the next generation of Karen leadership must think differently and have clarity in politics, the economy and the military, so that negotiations with the Myanmar government are possible. If that happens, the interview said, Karen armed groups would agree with independence from Myanmar. The interview also criticised the KNU as lacking strength and lacking freedom to self-govern, and said some Karen groups have split off to work under Myanmar’s orders and become involved in drugs, trafficking and other illegal activities.

Asked whether there had been talks with other Karen leaders, Nerdah Mya said the group is small and is viewed as lacking territory of its own, and that major Karen leaders do not want to talk. The interview said political and military work should be flexible and open to different views, but that the other side lacks this. The stated position is a desire to see greater Karen unity, so that one day Karen people can live together without disputes over which group owns which territory.

Nerdah Mya said the KNU statement accusing the declaration of damaging Karen revolutionary credibility reflects “old thinking” that prevents Karen statehood. The interview said efforts to build Karen identity along the border—such as issuing identity cards—have been criticised, but that moving forward is not feared because most people support the plan and armed Karen groups understand the good intentions behind it.

The interview said the “new country” model draws on systems from the United States, Singapore and Timor-Leste, with elections every four years, a House of Representatives, and laws for governance. The interview said the country would be run systematically within four years, with the future working coalition led by young Karen who studied abroad and will return to help build stability. The message said “Kawthoolei” is the land of all Karen people.

In closing, Nerdah Mya said Thailand is a long-standing neighbour with family ties and asked Thailand not to worry. The interview said that once the Republic of Kawthoolei becomes concrete, Thailand will not need to worry about drugs, human trafficking or scammer problems because the group will help manage them. The message also expressed gratitude for Thailand’s humanitarian help to Karen people during years of oppression by Myanmar’s government, and said that freedom should be met with gratitude for Thailand’s support.