Feature
Shwe Bya hands over stolen pistol to Max.
CZ pistol.
From left to right: A VBSW member from the Maneeloy camp, God’s Army Karen interpreter; Kyaw Ni, God’s Army soldier; and Pida during negotiation in the jungle on November 4, 1999.
the VBSW gunmen in the assault on the Myanmar Embassy. He was able to establish a close friendship with Johnny Htoo by supplying him with the cigarettes. Johnny Htoo is a chain smoker despite his young age. In a letter dated October 12, 1999, addressed to the Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai, the VBSW apologized for their action and explained the motives behind the embassy takeover. In a sign of reconciliation with the Thai government, the VBSW returned a pistol seized from the Special Branch policeman inside the embassy. The handing of the pistol to the Thai official was done on behalf of the VBSW by the God’s Army military
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commander Shwe Bya at Takolan. This gesture by the VBSW encouraged the Thai government to dispatch a team of Thai negotiators on November 4, 1999, to meet with representatives of the VBSW and persuade them to surrender. The Thai officials met with Kyaw Ni and Pida urging both to give up. Several VBSW members who arrived from the Maneeloy camp appealed to their comrades to give up and negotiate the terms of the surrender. Kyaw Ni and Pida refused and demanded to negotiate directly with the Thai PM. The Thai officials couldn’t accept this condition. Making the situation worse, the unarmed Thai negotiators were
humiliated during the surrender talks by about 30 God’s Army soldiers who encircled them inside Thai territory brandishing loaded weapons. After the talks broke down the Thais didn’t retaliate against the God’s Army, although they clearly had the capability to do so. The VBSW gunmen and God’s Army soldiers were allowed to walk back several kilometers to their camp inside Myanmar. Following the Ratchaburi hospital incident on January 24, 1999, the God’s Army soldiers became even more disillusioned with the VBSW and started to question the promises made by Kyaw Ni of a better life and plenty of material goods. In fact, the living conditions of the God’s Army had deteriorated since then. Johnny Htoo and Luther finally realized their association with the VBSW was leading them to disaster and withdrew their support. Johnny Htoo, who was previously always in the company of Kyaw Ni, abandoned him. This move initiated a split within God’s Army, and ten of their soldiers, including Shwe Bya, formed the Democratic God’s Army (DGA) in March. The DGA retained strong ties with the VBSW. Kyaw Ni planned to strike against Thai government facilities at any cost to avenge the death of his close friend Pida, two other Warriors and