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authorities had destroyed villages, killed Karen fighters, raped dozens of women and caused thousands to flee. The members believed the brothers shouted "God's Army!", leading them to a victory over
Burmese troops. The legend of the boys was embraced by locals who viewed the existing Karen National Union as corrupt and ineffective. Some of its members also called themselves as ''Jesus Warriors'' or ''Jesus Commandos''. According to Kwe Htoo, the name of the group was Kaserdoh God's Army.
128:
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believed that they had "Animist and
Christian powers". According to the legend among followers, the twins were the only two who defended their village from the Burmese authorities who had constantly persecuted their people for their Christian beliefs and for a desire for ethnic autonomy. The Burmese
280:
and the situation ended with their departure, at which point they were taken in by God's Army. The
Burmese Government called the attack "a pure act of terrorism" and in Washington the State Department, which has been critical of the Burmese military regime, also condemned what it called "a terrorist
271:
guerrillas who maintained an austere lifestyle, including abstinence from sexual intercourse, alcohol, milk, eggs, and pork. The group was estimated to have around 500 fighters in 1998, but gradually declined to anywhere between 100 and 200 men in early 2000. Many left to find work to support their
292:
for 22 hours. They demanded the Thai government stop shelling Karen positions in Burma and treatment for their wounded. They planted "booby" traps in the hospital and threatened to blow up the hospital. Thai security forces stormed the hospital, killing all 10 of the gunmen. After the raid, God's
246:, who had been fighting against Burmese army at various times for over fifty years, primarily through the Karen National Union. In the early 90s the Burmese army launched a major operation to secure the route of an oil pipeline through the area. God's Army was led by brothers
305:
In
January 2001, the Htoo twins and the less than 20 remaining members of God's Army surrendered to Thai soldiers and requested sanctuary. They abandoned the Karens' goal of an autonomous or independent homeland, in exchange for permission to stay in Thailand.
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refugee families while others are thought to have left for personal reasons. Meanwhile, the
Burmese army had 21,000 troops in the area. In October 1999, a group calling themselves
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In July 2006, Johnny Htoo surrendered to Burma's military government with eight other members of God's Army in two groups.
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beginning in 1997, who were at that time estimated to be only ten years of age. Some of the followers of the
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Johnny and Luther Htoo, twin brothers who were only nine years old when they formed the God's Army.
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The cameras found the students in the camp of the twins, who were nine years old at the time
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This article is about the defunct insurgent group in
Myanmar (Burma). For other uses, see
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God's Army was situated in mountainous rainforests along the border between Burma and
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National
Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism
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God's Army was formed in an area of eastern Burma populated by the
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288:, Thailand. The group held about 500 patients and staff members
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In
January 2000, 10 members of God's Army seized a hospital in
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662:"Burmese Rebel Twins and 14 Followers Surrender in Thailand"
1261:
United
National Liberation Front of Western South East Asia
297:(Burmese armed forces) and shunned by other Karen rebels.
773:
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Federal
Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee
276:
along with the God's Army seized the Burmese embassy in
210:
armed revolutionary group that opposed the then-ruling
633:"God's Army: The Reason for the Burmese Embassy Siege"
1428:
Defunct organizations designated as terrorist in Asia
423:"Child Terrorists Hold Hundreds Hostage in Thailand"
540:"Bizarre 'God's Army' Led By Young Boys Surrenders"
222:-Burma border, and conducted a string of audacious
537:
393:Terry McCarthy and Robert Horn (7 February 2000).
226:actions including allegedly being involved in the
445:"God's Army -- Myanmar | Terrorist Groups | TRAC"
1399:
692:"BBC News | Asia-Pacific | Embassy gunmen flee"
1369:Union Peace Conference â 21st Century Panglong
759:
724:. Las Vegas Sun. 25 July 2006. Archived from
39:
506:"Terrorist Organization Profile: God's Army"
300:
343:"Burmese Rebel Chief More Boy Than Warrior"
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214:(Burma). The group was an offshoot of the
228:seizure of the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok
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230:in 1999. They have been described as a
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722:"Myanmar Teen Rebel Leader Surrenders"
479:. London. 27 July 2000. Archived from
421:Richburg, Keith B. (24 January 2000).
340:
1433:Ethnic armed organisations in Myanmar
775:Ethnic armed organisations in Myanmar
747:
336:
334:
293:Army were strenuously pursued by the
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378:. GlobalSecurity.org. Archived from
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568:"God's Army holds hundreds hostage"
538:Richard S. Ehrlick (27 July 2006).
13:
566:Aglionby, John (25 January 2000).
331:
14:
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668:. 17 January 2001. Archived from
609:. 7 February 2000. Archived from
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365:
274:Vigorous Burmese Student Warriors
133:Vigorous Burmese Student Warriors
1284:ChinaâMyanmar border (1960â1961)
156:
144:
126:
25:Christian terrorist organisation
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684:
625:
1362:Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement
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437:
386:
1:
341:Mydans, Seth (1 April 2000).
324:
1382:Internal conflict in Myanmar
237:
218:. They were based along the
175:Internal conflict in Myanmar
18:Army of God (disambiguation)
7:
1423:Christian terrorism in Asia
312:
258:
10:
1459:
1438:Secessionist organizations
1256:Three Brotherhood Alliance
185:1999 Myanmar Embassy siege
15:
1377:
1349:
1269:
1236:Chin Brotherhood Alliance
1216:
1098:
781:
449:www.trackingterrorism.org
301:Surrender and disbandment
212:military junta of Myanmar
203:
170:
139:
121:
113:
97:
83:
58:
48:
40:
38:
37:
32:
647:– via PressReader.
92:MyanmarâThailand border
267:. They were a band of
248:Johnny and Luther Htoo
232:terrorist organisation
53:Johnny and Luther Htoo
1279:Communist (1948â1988)
395:"Leading God's Army"
319:Karen National Union
216:Karen National Union
1418:Politics of Myanmar
516:on 21 December 2013
433:on 14 October 2023.
427:The Washington Post
382:on 13 October 2023.
204:ááŻááŹá¸ááááşá áááşáááąáŹáş
108:Christian extremism
84:Active regions
41:ááŻááŹá¸ááááşá áááşáááąáŹáş
1246:Federal Union Army
672:on 13 October 2023
666:The New York Times
639:on 13 October 2023
603:"The Twin Terrors"
578:on 13 October 2023
550:on 18 August 2013.
483:on 13 October 2023
353:on 8 December 2023
347:The New York Times
244:Karen ethnic group
60:Dates of operation
1395:
1394:
1251:Northern Alliance
728:on 4 January 2008
544:Global Politician
473:"Two little boys"
407:on 17 April 2008.
193:
192:
1450:
1413:2000s in Myanmar
1408:1990s in Myanmar
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702:on 27 April 2023
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1334:2016âpresent
1226:4K Coalition
1122:
732:14 September
730:. Retrieved
726:the original
716:
704:. Retrieved
700:the original
695:
686:
674:. Retrieved
670:the original
665:
641:. Retrieved
637:the original
627:
615:. Retrieved
611:the original
606:
580:. Retrieved
576:the original
572:the Guardian
571:
548:the original
533:
525:
518:. Retrieved
514:the original
500:
492:
485:. Retrieved
481:the original
477:The Guardian
476:
452:. Retrieved
448:
439:
431:the original
426:
405:the original
398:
388:
380:the original
376:"God's Army"
355:. Retrieved
351:the original
346:
308:
304:
283:
262:
241:
195:
194:
27:
22:
706:23 February
454:23 February
88:Kayin State
1402:Categories
1357:Ceasefires
1218:Coalitions
1148:Mujahideen
1123:God's Army
1020:PRA-Magway
676:2 November
617:2 November
520:16 January
487:16 January
357:2 November
325:References
286:Ratchaburi
196:God's Army
187:(disputed)
117:500 (peak)
33:God's Army
1329:1991â1992
1299:KarenâMon
960:MRDA/BNRA
281:attack".
269:Christian
238:Formation
224:guerrilla
208:Christian
140:Opponents
135:(alleged)
1387:Tatmadaw
1319:Rohingya
313:See also
295:Tatmadaw
265:Thailand
259:Activity
220:Thailand
206:) was a
163:Tatmadaw
99:Ideology
1303:Kokang
1100:Defunct
290:hostage
278:Bangkok
200:Burmese
74: (
66: (
49:Leaders
1289:Kachin
975:NSCN-K
881:KNA(B)
861:DKBA-5
783:Active
122:Allies
1294:Karen
1153:NDA-K
1045:SSA-S
1035:SSA-N
944:MNTJP
940:MNDAA
920:KNPLF
811:ABSDF
643:2 May
582:2 May
252:twins
72:â2006
1324:1978
1312:2015
1307:2009
1208:VBSW
1203:SURA
1198:SSNA
1193:SSCP
1163:RFCP
1158:NUPA
1143:MRDA
1118:DKBA
1108:ARIF
1069:UWSP
1065:UWSA
1059:PSLF
1055:TNLA
1049:RCSS
1039:SSPP
1014:PNLO
1010:PNLA
965:NDAA
954:NMSP
950:MNLA
925:KTLA
914:KNPP
900:KNLA
896:KNDO
890:KNLP
886:KNLA
856:CNDF
836:BPLA
826:ARSA
734:2009
708:2018
678:2013
645:2018
619:2013
607:Time
584:2018
522:2012
489:2012
456:2018
400:Time
359:2013
114:Size
76:2006
68:1997
64:1997
1188:SSA
1183:RNA
1178:RRF
1173:RPF
1168:RLP
1138:MRA
1133:MTA
1128:KDA
1113:CPA
1089:ZRO
1085:ZRA
1079:WNO
1075:WNA
1030:SNA
1025:RSO
1004:PNO
1000:PNA
994:CPB
990:PLA
984:NUG
980:PDF
969:PSC
935:LDU
930:KPC
904:KNU
876:KNA
870:KIO
866:KIA
850:CNF
846:CNA
841:CDF
831:BLA
820:ALP
816:ALA
805:ANC
795:ULA
1404::
910:KA
898:/
801:AA
791:AA
694:.
664:.
653:^
605:.
592:^
570:.
556:^
542:.
524:.
508:.
491:.
475:.
464:^
447:.
425:.
413:^
397:.
367:^
345:.
333:^
234:.
202::
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20:.
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