Burmese army clashes with RCSS/SSA in Mong Pawn
A Burmese army unit has
exchanged small arms fire with the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State
Army (RCSS/SSA) in the southern Shan State township of Mong Pawn.
The incident happened at about
6am on Thursday, according to a resident in Loilem, who said the clash was
between Burmese army Battalion 429 and RCSS/SSA troops near Nongle village,
Pengjai tract, in Loilem District’s Mong Pawn Township.
“The RCSS/SSA is active in this
area and is led by Maj. Muu Ni,” said the source. “In the past, fighting has
broken out around here between the RCSS/SSA and the Pa-O armed group.”
No casualties have been
reported.
Col. Sai La, a spokesperson for
the RCSS/SSA – which is one of eight militias that signed a nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) with the previous Thein
Sein government – said the fighting could
affect the peace process. He claimed that hostilities are breaking out in many
regions because the Tatmadaw [Burmese military] wishes to flex its
muscles and create conflict across the country.
He explained that in order to
solve issues of conflict, the Joint Monitoring
Committee (JMC) must be involved at each
and every level.
“When
trust is broken, peace will also be destroyed,” he added.
At
least five clashes have occurred between government forces and RCSS/SSA troops
since the NCA was signed in October 2015.
On October 5, 2016, Shan Herald
reported that Burmese army Battalion
292 had launched offensives against RCSS/SSA units in Wan Boi village, Tonglao
village-tract, in southern Shan State’s Mong Kung Township, a site where the
Shan group had set up a rehabilitation facility for local drug addicts. The
fighting compelled more than 2,000 civilians in the area to flee their homes.
By Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN)
Tags: News, War
