The subject does not meet Wikipedia's criteria for inclusion. Rejected by Htanaungg 55 days ago. Last edited by WereSpielChequers 13 days ago. |  |
Submission declined on 20 February 2026 by Robert McClenon (talk). This draft appears to be a duplicate of an existing article. Wikipedia does not permit multiple articles on the same topic.
This draft does not have sufficient content to warrant a standalone article of its own, but it could be merged into the existing article at Kawthoolei.
Declined by Robert McClenon 4 months ago. |  |
This draft's references do not show that the subject meets Wikipedia's criteria for inclusion. The draft requires multiple published secondary sources that:
Declined by Htanaungg 5 months ago.
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Submission declined on 9 January 2026 by EmeraldRange (talk). This draft's references do not show that the subject meets Wikipedia's criteria for inclusion. The draft requires multiple published secondary sources that:
This draft reads like an essay or opinion piece. Wikipedia is not a place for original research or personal opinions. The draft should:
Declined by EmeraldRange 5 months ago.
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Comment: Per the comments from previous reviewers, the draft is not sufficient for a standalone article and some of its content should instead be merged into the existing Kawthoolei article. Htanaungg (talk) 14:43, 26 April 2026 (UTC)
- Comment: I would strongly oppose adding all the information from this draft to the Kawthoolei article, as it would be WP:UNDUE coverage for that scope. EmeraldRange (talk/contribs) 14:22, 20 February 2026 (UTC)
- Comment: This draft has information that is not in the article and should be added to the article. The article has information that is not in this draft. Please compare and combine the draft and the article.You may ask for advice about comparing and combining a draft and an article at the Teahouse. Robert McClenon (talk) 06:28, 20 February 2026 (UTC)
- Comment: Agree per EmeraldRange on their opinion about its notability. Htanaungg (talk) 11:13, 11 January 2026 (UTC)
- Comment: Likely AI, a lot of unsourced content adding fluff to make the topic longer and more promotional. The topic of the article is also unlikely to be notable beyond this one event and should be covered at Kawthoolei Army as this is merely the declaration of a small group with nearly no territory. EmeraldRange (talk/contribs) 07:08, 9 January 2026 (UTC)
Republic of Kawthoolei | |
|---|---|
 Territories claimed but not controlled by the Republic of Kawthoolei | |
| Status | De facto unrecognized state internationally recognized as Myanmarese |
| Capital | Sukali 16°9′16″N 98°35′46″E / 16.15444°N 98.59611°E |
| Official languages | S'gaw Karen [citation needed] |
| |Spoken languages | S'gaw Karen Burmese |
| Demonym | Karen |
| Government | Democratic Republic (not practiced) |
• President | Nerdah Mya |
• Vice President | Hsargay Po |
• Prime Minister | Poe Thulay |
| Establishment | |
• Declaration of Independence | 5 January 2026 |
| Area | |
• Total | 86,022[a] km2 (33,213 sq mi) |
| Currency | Thai Baht[2] (THB) |
| Time zone | UTC+6:30 |
| Calling code | +95 |
The Republic of Kawthoolei (S'gaw Karen: ကီၢ်သူလ့ၤ ကီၢ်စဲၣ်) is an unrecognized and self-declared breakaway State in Myanmar. It was proclaimed on 5 January 2026 by the Kawthoolei Army (KTLA), a splinter armed group led by General Nerdah Mya.[3]
The proclamation marks a divergence from the political stance of the Karen National Union (KNU), the primary political organization representing the Karen people, which advocates for a federal democratic union within Myanmar rather than complete secession.[4] A KNU spokesperson characterized the move as "nonsense", arguing that the KTLA lacks both significant territorial control and the civil administration infrastructure necessary to govern a state and "has nothing to do with the Karen people".[5] As of January 2026, the state remains unrecognized by the international community, and the Karen National Union has publicly rejected the KTLA's proclamation.[4]
History
editProclamation of independence
editOn 5 January 2026, a military parade and ceremony were held at the U Ge Kyi camp in the State of Kayin. During the event, General Nerdah Mya, the son of the late General Bo Mya, proclaimed the Republic of Kawthoolei.[6] The proclamation cited the failure of the Myanmar military junta to protect civilian rights as the primary justification for secession. Nerdah Mya was named President, and Poe Thulay was named Prime Minister of the provisional government.[7]
Kawthoolei has proclaimed that it will be democratic with a free market economic structure. The new administration said it intends to uphold peace and cooperation and has called on other countries to recognize the Republic.[8] Nerdah Mya has announced plans to create a constitution.
As of 2025, the Kawthoolei army controlled a strip of land south of Myeik near the Singkhon Pass.[9] In June 2026, the Tatmadaw recaptured significant territory near this area after a long counteroffensive launched from Thephyu village.[10]
Relations
editKaren National Union
editThe Republic has rather bad relations with the KNU even though many members of the Kawthoolei Armyare former members of it. General Nerdah Mya was formerly the head of the Karen National Defence Organisation (KNDO), a wing of the Karen National Union (KNU), but was dismissed in 2022 after the KNU found him guilty of extrajudicial killings of construction workers alleged to be spies,[11] three days after he formed the splinter group KTLA.[12]
See also
editNotes
edit- ↑ combined area of Tanintharyi, Kayin and Mon
References
edit- ↑ "KNU controls 61% of Karen Territory" (PDF). ispmyanmar.
- ↑ AUTHORS, CONTRIBUTING (2024-05-19). "The fight to protect the Karen homeland of Kawthoolei". DVB. Retrieved 2026-04-23.
- ↑ "Son of General Bo Mya declares himself President of Kawthoolei Republic, announces independence from Myanmar". Khaosod (in Thai). Retrieved 6 January 2026.
- 1 2 "KNU dismisses KTLA's Kawthoolei declaration as 'nonsense', analysts see publicity stunt". Transborder News. 7 January 2026. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ↑ admin (2026-01-07). "สำนักข่าวชายขอบ". สำนักข่าวชายขอบ : Transborder News (in Thai). Retrieved 2026-04-24.
- ↑ "ASEAN Shocked! Independence Declared: 'Republic of Kawthoolei' Established". Dailynews (in Thai). Retrieved 6 January 2026.
- ↑ "Watch out! "Kawthoolei" declares independence, establishes new republic". Siam Rath (in Thai). Retrieved 6 January 2026.
- ↑ Petpailin, Petch (2026-01-08). "New 'Republic of Kawthoolei' announced at Thai-Myanmar border". Thaiger. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
- ↑ "KNU Controls 61 Percent of Karen State's Territory - ISP Map No. 15" (PDF). ISP Myanmar.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|Date=ignored (|date=suggested) (help) - ↑ "Myanmar Military Recaptures Key Thai Border Trade Hub as 4,000 Flee". Irrawaddy. 20 May 2026.
- ↑ "Karen armed groups will not endorse new Kawthoolei Army splinter". DVB. 21 July 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ↑ "Armed group in Karen State declares independence from Myanmar". DVB. 2026-01-08. Retrieved 2026-01-08.