CHIANG MAI- March 4. The Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army-North lost a strategic base while its leaders were attending a census meeting in Naypyitaw.

The Burma Army’s Central Eastern Command in Kolam sent a letter to SSPP demanding that the SSA-N troops withdraw from Tar Hsarm Pu base, because the Burma Army would use that route. On February 27, the SSA withdrew from the base as demanded, but on February 28, the Burma Army seized and occupied the base.

An SSPP officer said, “The Burma Army sent a letter to us, demanding our troops withdraw from the base so that the Burma Army could use the route. Our high ranking officers at the headquarters believed that it was time to make peace and the Burma Army was sincere, but the Burma Army then deployed more troops and occupied our strategic base.”

Additionally, he said: “We have sacrificed our lives to defend this base, but the Burma Army used the opportunity while our leaders were in Naypyitaw to pressure us. We did not get the green light to fire, so we withdrew from the base. We are really upset by losing this base.”

According to SSPP spokesperson, Sai Hla “Tar Hsarm Pu base was like our backbone, where we collected transportation tax and mining tax, so we defended it with our lives in the past.”

Tar Hsarm Pu is an economically and militarily strategic base of SSPP/SSA where it connects to its ally the United Wa State Army (UWSA).

Meanwhile the Burma Army has deployed more troops in SSPP-controlled areas and engaged in fierce fighting in Nong Keaw, from February 28 till March 1st 2014. The villagers in Nar Kew have fled into the jungle and villages nearby.

According to a villager at Nar Kew, dozens of Burmese soldiers were killed in the battle, because they were not familiar with the location, and many SSPP/SSA soldiers were injured.

About 1,000 soldiers have been deployed in SSPP/SSA controlled areas, reportedly in an operation named Shan Thit (Shan 1) under the command of Major Myint Aung from the 77th Light Infantry Division of Bago.