Armed conflict in Shan State - general articles

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Title: RCSS/SSA Clash With Tatmadaw In Hsipaw Township
Description: "New fighting between the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA) and Burma Army broke out in Shan State at a time when both groups are trying cooperate during the COVID-19 pandemic. RCSS/SSA clashed with Tatmadaw LIB-326 this Wednesday at 5 p.m. in Hsipaw Township. An anonymous RCSS/SSA source told SHAN that two lieutenants and two regular soldiers of the Burma Army were killed during the fighting. Lt-Col Sao Oum Khur, RCSS/SSA spokesperson, told SHAN the clash may have started because of a misunderstanding. He says the Burma Army reported it would travel from Pankok and Pankham villages. RCSS/SSA told them to take the main vehicle road and not the jungle route. “We told them not to take the jungle road because they might encounter a column of our soldiers. But I think they took the jungle road anyway and then clashed with our troops,” says Sao Oum Khur. Last week, Tatmadaw’s Eastern Military Command provided Shan soldiers with personal protective equipment and the armed groups discussed how to avoid fighting during the COVID-19 pandemic. A few weeks earlier, Tatmadaw attacked RCSS/SSA in Ponpakyin sub-township, located in eastern Shan State. Lt-Col Sao Oum Khur says he didn’t think the recent fighting was intentional. “Perhaps their soldiers weren’t following in line with our recent agreement. Or maybe their superior officers didn’t even know about the clash,” he says. The RCSS will negotiate with the regional Burma Army commander and other high-ranking Tatmadaw officials through its liaison office. The ethnic armed group will also bring up the incident during the next meeting of the Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Committee. “If we can’t solve it at the ground level, it can turn into a big problem. Therefore, it’s important that we negotiate with the Tatmadaw to avoid a crisis.” Lt-Col Sao Oum Khur says..."
Source/publisher: "Shan Herald Agency for News" (Myanmar)
Date of entry/update: 2020-06-14
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Title: Ta’ang Armed Group Attacks Myanmar Military Convoy in Shan State
Description: "Within hours after the Arakan Army (AA) launched attacks on a border guard police outpost in Rakhine State early Friday morning, its ally the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) intercepted a military convoy in northern Shan State, according to Myanmar military spokesman Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun. The TNLA attacked the military convoy en route from Muse with remote-detonated mines near Namkut Village near the Union Highway in Kutkai Township, Brig-Gen Zaw Min Tun confirmed to The Irrawaddy. “The military convoy on patrol between Kutkai and Nam Phet Ka was attacked with remote-detonated mines near Namkut Village, according to the latest information. There was some damage to trucks but no injuries or deaths. They carried out the mine attacks on the Union Highway,” Brig-Gen Zaw Min Tun told The Irrawaddy. On Friday around noon, the TNLA Information Department shared photos online of the damaged military trucks and weapons it allegedly seized from the Myanmar military. “It appeared that Palaung [TNLA] troops were watching as the soldiers came down. The clash happened near the village. We heard gunshots from heavy and small arms. We don’t know if anyone was hit. We dare not go outside,” a local resident of Namkut Village told The Irrawaddy on condition of anonymity. The clash between the TNLA and the Myanmar military lasted for an hour-and-a-half, according to TNLA Information Officer Major Mai Aik Kyaw. But he said he did not know further details..."
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy" (Thailand)
Date of entry/update: 2020-05-30
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Title: Myanmar: Ban Landmines, Lift Travel Restrictions on Aid Groups
Sub-title: COVID-19 and longstanding restrictions on humanitarian aid hamper landmine-survivor support
Description: "The Myanmar military and ethnic armed groups should end the use of landmines and the Government of Myanmar should lift restrictions on humanitarian aid groups providing life-saving support to landmine survivors in ethnic areas affected by ongoing war, said Fortify Rights today. Since January 1, 2020, landmine explosions in Myanmar have reportedly killed or injured at least 68 civilians, while longstanding government-imposed restrictions on aid groups coupled with new COVID-19-related restrictions hinder access to essential aid and services. Fortify Rights spoke with ten organizations, including six local-led humanitarian groups, working to address landmine casualties in conflict zones in Kachin and northern Shan states, all of whom report a near total halt to their regular activities. Landmines killed or injured at least 26 civilians in Kachin and northern Shan states this year. “There was a mine explosion in Moemeik [in Mongmit Township, Shan State], and we could not help the person for two reasons,” Lwar Hlar Reang the General-Secretary of Ta’ang Student and Youth Union (TSYU) based in Lashio, northern Shan State, told Fortify Rights. “The first is the military prevents people from coming and seeing that person . . . The second reason is that it is difficult for us to travel right now because of the coronavirus.” TSYU is a civil society organization that provides essential assistance to survivors of landmine explosions. Describing their work, Lwar Hlar Reang said: “Some [landmine survivors] need transportation in order to get to the hospital, some people need medical help and are in need of an operation. We provide transportation and clothes for the operation.”..."
Source/publisher: "Fortify Rights" (Myanmar)
Date of entry/update: 2020-05-22
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Title: Hundreds Of Villagers Displaced By Fighting 
Description: "Hundreds of villagers remain displaced after heavy fighting between the Burma Army (Tatmadaw) and the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA) broke out their homes in southern Shan State. More than 260 internally displaced persons (IDPs) sought refuge in Kehsi township in southern Shan State during clashes that have lasted for three days. Sai Sang Mueng, a state level MP for Kehsi constituency-1, told SHAN that 107 IDPs are sheltering in a monastery in Phet Nam village, located in Wanchin village-tract, in Kehsi township. The rest are staying with their relatives in the township. Local MPs and the general administration development officer are providing food rations for the IDPs. “Currently, there aren’t any problems but if the situation continues it may get more difficult (to provide aid.) I think the IDPs will return to their home when the clashes end,” Sai Sang Mueng said. The Tatmadaw fought with the RCSS/SSA on Loi Tom mountain between Kehsi and Mong Kung township in southern Shan State. Nearly 500 IDPs driven from their homes from previous fighting returned to their homes on March 1..."
Source/publisher: "Shan Herald Agency for News" (Myanmar)
Date of entry/update: 2020-03-06
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Title: Fighting between RCSS and Tatmadaw still raging
Description: "Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA) spokesman Col. Sai Om Kay said that they had been fighting with the Tatmadaw (Myanmar Army) on Loi Tuan Mountain, Mong Kong Township, southern Shan State on February 27 in the morning and the fighting between them was still raging until today. The fighting started with artillery fire on February 27 at about 8 a.m. and the fighting is reportedly still raging fiercely until the afternoon of February 28. “The fighting was almost all day yesterday and now Tatmadaw is still firing intermittent fire of heavy weapons,” spokesman Col. Sai Om Kay said, referring to Thursday. The RCSS/SSA said that four battalions with approximate strength of 400 personnel had an engagement with RCSS troops in Loi Tuan pass in Mong Kong Township, southern Shan State and it was started by firing heavy weapons and the fighting was fierce. Shan State legislative Assembly legislator from Mong Kong constituency (1) Sai Pan said that they heard the firing of heavy weapons and they had to watch and monitor the fighting between these two armies. “They fought yesterday and today. We could hear weapons firing until this afternoon. We cannot get accurate information on this battle as they fought in the jungle but nearby villages said that they heard heavy weapons fire,” he said. Political analyst Than Soe Naing said that the fighting between them appeared because of lack of trust building between them and having suspicion against each other though they had territory demarcation between them..."
Source/publisher: "Mizzima" (Myanmar)
Date of entry/update: 2020-02-29
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Title: Myanmar Army Attacks Kachin Independence Army Base
Description: "The Myanmar army attacked a Kachin Independence Army (KIA) training base in northern Shan State’s Hseni Township on Wednesday, according to local sources. The KIA reported that the Myanmar army attacked a KIA Brigade 10 training base and KIA forces fought back. “We heard that they came to attack our base. KIA forces were fighting in self-defense,” KIA spokesperson Colonel Naw Bu told The Irrawaddy on Friday. “We do not know details yet about whether the Myanmar army has withdrawn their troops from our area or whether our training base has withdrawn troops from the area, as it is very difficult to get in contact with them,” he said. Col. Naw Bu is based at the KIA headquarters in Laiza, Kachin State. The colonel added that in the last three months, the Myanmar military has deployed troops in the territory of KIA Brigade 10 and has been searching for the KIA army base. Kachin News Group reported that the Myanmar army fired four large artillery shells at the KIA training base, as well as lighter weapons..."
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy" (Thailand)
Date of entry/update: 2020-01-11
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Title: Government in Myanmar is the only national security force still deploying landmines
Sub-title: The death of a German tourist in Shan State raises important questions over the government’s approach to landmines.
Description: "On Tuesday, 26 November, a German tourist was killed when the motorbike he was riding struck a landmine in Myanmar’s Shan State. The man was travelling between Pan Nyaung Village and Kun Hauk Village, near Hsipaw Township, with an Argentine woman, who was also injured in the blast. The woman had gotten off the motorcycle when the road became too bumpy and was walking behind the vehicle when it struck the mine. The rider reportedly died at the scene after sustaining severe injuries to his legs, chest and midriff. Hsipaw has seen intense fighting in recent months: The region has been the site of intense fighting as ethnic armed groups fight for increased autonomy. In January, clashes broke out along the Hsipaw-Nam Lan road when troops from the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) and the Shan State Progress Party (SSPP) exchanged fire..."
Source/publisher: "ASEAN Today" (Singapore)
Date of entry/update: 2019-12-03
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Title: Ethnic armed group denies airport attack
Sub-title: The Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) on Sunday denied it had carried out an attack on Lashio airport in northern Shan State.
Description: "Mei Eike Kyaw, TNLA spokesman, said its fighters had nothing to do with Saturday’s artillery attack that reportedly injured one woman. ‘’I saw it on social media and heard about it but I don’t know who was responsible for it,’’ he said. Six artillery shells, four of which exploded, were fired at the military headquarters and civilian areas at the airport. A building and a vehicle were damaged in the attack and several flights had to be cancelled. The military blamed the attack on the TNLA. “The airport has reopened this morning, and everything is peaceful and quiet,” said U Myint Maw, a resident of Lashio. Police said the artillery shells were of the same make as those fired during a coordinated attack on Pyin Oo Lwin town in August by the TNLA, Arakan Army and Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army..."
Source/publisher: "Myanmar Times"
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-18
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Title: Ta’ang School Damaged, Highway Blocked in Northern Shan State Clashes
Description: "Intense fighting near the Loi Samsip (Thirty Hills) area in Kutkai Township, northern Shan State has led locals to flee their homes and for the highway to the China border to close. A local who lives in Kutkai told NMG on the condition of anonymity that the Burma Army and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) had clashed near the Karlai junction and Kabar Aye pagoda on Wednesday morning. “Clashes broke out at around 7:15 this morning. The sound of guns shooting went silent at around 10:00 a.m.,” the individual said on Wednesday. Locals also told NMG that both heavy artillery and regular guns were used in the fighting and that no one has been allowed to travel on the national highway from Kutkai to Muse. The road remains closed from the Kutkai tollgate accessible from the Muse side. “All vehicles have been blocked… many cars were dumped on the road,” a local source said. During the fighting, four artillery shells landed on the grounds of the area’s Ta’ang Education Center, leading teachers to relocate the children at the school’s boarding house to safety. While none of the 80 people at the site were injured, the school’s infrastructure was damaged..."
Source/publisher: "Network Media Group" (Thailand)
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-15
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Title: Myanmar Military Clashes With TNLA in Northern Shan, Shutting Down Highway
Sub-title: Kutkai, Kyaukme, Myanmar ethnic conflict, Northern Alliance, Shan State, Shan State conflict, Ta’ang National Liberation Army, Tatmadaw, TNLA conflict
Description: "Fighting broke out in northern Shan State between the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the Myanmar military on Wednesday along the highway in Kutkai, stopping traffic for most of the day. Fighting broke out in at least three places in the townships of Kutkai and Kyaukme, according to the TNLA “Fighting broke out in Kyaukme Township this morning at 6 a.m. Another two battles broke out in Kutkai Town at 7 a.m.,” TNLA spokesperson Major Tar Aike Kyaw told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday. All cars along the highway were stopped during the fighting in Kutkai. Videos posted to Facebook showed some travelers hiding inside their cars and more than a hundred cars were reportedly stopped on the road. Myanmar army spokesperson Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun told The Irrawaddy that fighting broke out between the Tatmadaw and the TNLA at around 7:20 a.m. in Kutkai, and lasted for 30 minutes. He confirmed that all traffic on the highway stopped during the fighting..."
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy" (Thailand)
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-14
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Title: Fighting Between Tatmadaw And Northern Alliance Increases
Description: "A Ta’ang armed group said it fought with the Burma Army (aka Tatmadaw) many times in early November despite initiating an unilateral ceasefire with other members of an ethnic alliance. “The highest number of clashes occurred in Kutkai township in northern Shan State. Fighting also happened in Namhsan and Namkham township too. Why are the clashes happening? It’s because they’re (Tatmadaw) entering our areas and attacking us,” said Maj. Mai Aik Kyaw, in charge of Palaung State Liberation Front/Ta’ang National Liberation Army (PSLF/TNLA). According to the major, there have been at least 5 clashes between November 1 to 6. Full-blown battles with the Tatmadaw have been avoided because the PSLF/TNLA is refusing to retaliate against their offenses, he said. But if the Army keeps attacking them it will negatively impact the unilateral ceasefire they and other groups in the Northern Alliance have initiated. “Fighting is not the solution. We have to seek a solution through negotiation and dialogue,” Mai Aik Kyaw said, commenting that lately there’s been more clashes than dialogue..."
Source/publisher: "Network Media Group" (Thailand)
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-13
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Title: RCSS/SSA Fight With Tatmadaw In Southern Shan State
Description: "Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA) soldiers fought with the Burma Army (aka Tatmadaw) multiple times this month with clashes breaking out in Mongkai township, located in southern Shan State. A military column of forty soldiers under Tatmadaw’s LIB-757 clashed with the RCSS/SSA in the jungle near Ho Hkai village-tract in Mongkai township on the evening of November 9. Sai Lon, an MP for Mongkai township, told SHAN that he’s monitoring the situation and prepared to assist villagers if necessary. “As far as I know, fighting started after the Burma Army’s military column climbed the Loi Tunn hill north of Ham Ngai village, in Ho Hkai village-tract, in Mongkai township. Nobody was injured because this location is still far from the village.” SHAN attempted to reach RCSS/SSA’s spokesperson by phone multiple times but wasn’t able to reach him for comment..."
Source/publisher: "Shan Herald Agency for News" (Myanmar)
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-13
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Title: “Caught in the middle”: Abuses against civilians amid conflict in Myanmar’s northern Shan State
Summary: "The decades-long conflict in northern Shan State has escalated in recent months following attacks by three ethnic armed groups on military installations and other locations in the country on 15...
Description: "The decades-long conflict in northern Shan State has escalated in recent months following attacks by three ethnic armed groups on military installations and other locations in the country on 15 August 2019. The government stated that the attacks were likely to have been carried out in retaliation for recent successful anti-drug trafficking operations in the region. According to the three ethnic armed groups – calling themselves the “Brotherhood Alliance” – the attacks were launched in response to a military offensive in Rakhine State in the west of the country as well as repeated military operations in northern Shan state, despite a military ceasefire in the area. Civilians in northern Shan State, who have borne the brunt of these previous operations, looks set to endure fresh abuses, conflict, and displacement. This report examines international human rights abuses and violations of humanitarian law committed since mid-2018 by parties to the ongoing internal armed conflicts in northern Shan State. On 21 December 2018, the Myanmar military announced a unilateral ceasefire in northern and eastern Myanmar, however, as this report shows, while there may have been a reduction of the number of clashes involving the military, Myanmar soldiers have continued to commit serious violations against ethnic minority civilians. The declared ceasefire period has also seen a continuation, and in some areas an escalation, of fighting among ethnic armed groups, some backed by the Myanmar military. Amnesty International undertook research missions to northern Shan State in March and August 2019. In total, Amnesty International interviewed 88 people, including victims and direct witnesses to violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. The organization also met with local and international humanitarian officials, human rights defenders, community leaders, journalists, and political analysts, and analysed satellite imagery and photographs related to specific documented incidents. Amnesty International wrote to the Myanmar civilian government and military, and to four ethnic armed groups, outlining the organization’s findings, requesting information, and expressing readiness to discuss the situation in northern Shan State. At the time of publication, none had replied..."
Source/publisher: "Amnesty International" (UK) (ASA 16/1142/2019)
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-31
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Title: Myanmar: Military atrocities ‘relentless and ruthless’ in northern Shan State
Description: "“The Myanmar military is as relentless and ruthless as ever, committing war crimes against civilians in northern Shan State with absolute impunity,” said Nicholas Bequelin, Amnesty International’s Director for East and Southeast Asia. “Soldiers – and more importantly commanders – are subjecting civilians to the military’s hallmark brutality in the absence of any form of accountability.” Amnesty International documented war crimes and other military violations against ethnic Kachin, Lisu, Shan, and Ta’ang civilians during two field missions to the region in March and August 2019. Civilians who spoke to Amnesty International repeatedly implicated the military’s 99th Light Infantry Division (LID) in many of the violations. Units from the 99th LID were implicated in some of the worst atrocities against the Rohingya in Rakhine State since August 2017, as well as in war crimes and other serious violations in northern Myanmar in 2016 and early 2017. “Wherever the 99th Light Infantry Division is deployed we see similar patterns of abuse and the commission of horrific crimes unfold. This highlights the urgency of international action to hold Myanmar’s military – not least its senior generals – accountable.”..."
Source/publisher: "Amnesty International" (UK)
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-31
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Title: Ongoing fighting, abuses in Myanmar's northern Shan State
Sub-title: Amnesty International says Myanmar military, ethnic armed groups guilty of abuses amid fighting in northern state.
Description: "In Myanmar's northern Shan State, ethnic armed groups have been fighting the Myanmar military for more autonomy for the past 50 years. Amnesty International says both sides are guilty of rights abuses in the ongoing fighting, which has continued since the failure of a nationwide ceasefire which was signed four years ago. That's an issue that will dog its de facto head Aung San Suu Kyi as she starts campaigning for next year's election..."
Source/publisher: "Al Jazeera" (Qatar)
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-31
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Title: Burma Army Launches Air Attack on TNLA in Kutkai
Description: "The Burma Army used combat helicopters to attack Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) forces in northern Shan State’s Kutkai Township on Saturday, the TNLA reported. Representatives of the armed group said that they had three clashes with government forces on a hill near the villages of Nam Huay and Maru Hpakar from morning until midday on October 26, as well as on October 24 and 25. Following these battles, at around noon the Burma Army attacked the TNLA from the air. “We have had at least 10 clashes as of yesterday, since we announced our unilateral ceasefire,” Maj Mai Aik Kyaw, who is in charge of the TNLA’s information department, told NMG on Sunday, referring to a declaration made on September 20. “We are having clashes because they are coming to attack us,” he added. The unilateral ceasefire was declared by the TNLA and two other members of the Northern Alliance of ethnic armed groups—the Arakan Army and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army—and is supposed to last until the end of the year. According to the TNLA, the highest number of clashes have occurred in Kutkai Township, and have intensified since they declared their own ceasefire..."
Source/publisher: "Network Media Group" (Thailand)
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-29
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Title: Civilians Injured, Displaced After Tatmadaw and TNLA Clash in Kutkai
Description: "Two civilians were injured by a Tatmadaw artillery shell when the Burma Army and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) fought on Thursday and Friday in northern Shan State’s Kutkai Township. The mother and daughter were hit by shrapnel from a shell on Thursday as fighting took place in Maw Harn village tract, between the communities of Nam Huay and Maru Hpetkar. They were transferred to Kutkai hospital the next day. “The Burma Army attacked a TNLA base camp last night,” Seng Awng, of Maw Harn village, told NMG on Friday. “Burma Army troops based in Tarmohnye helped its military column by firing heavy weapons… shells landed in our village.” The daughter, a student, endured injuries to her legs, and the mother suffered cuts on her head. Some 60 people fled from their homes in the area when the clashes did not let up on Friday. Most are children, the elderly, and pregnant women, and are staying with relatives. They left Nam Huay and Maru Hpetkar and are staying in Maw Harn. According to TNLA reports, they have had at least 10 clashes with government forces since three members of the Northern Alliance of ethnic armed groups—of which TNLA is one—declared a unilateral ceasefire on September 20. Three of these clashes occurred on Thursday, one in Namkham Township and two in Kutkai..."
Source/publisher: "Network Media Group" (Thailand)
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-27
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Title: Burma Army, TNLA Fight in Kutkai Township
Description: "The Burma Army and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) clashed in northern Shan State’s Kutkai Township on Wednesday morning, reportedly leading to casualties on both sides. The fighting occurred near Mang Sup and Nawng Peik villages at around 6:00 a.m. on October 16, with the fighting lasting until 7:30 a.m. According to the TNLA’s field report, one of their soldiers was killed and one was injured. It also said that three Burma Army soldiers were killed and one injured, but SHAN was unable to independently confirm this information. “We heard the sound of small arms being shot and heavy weapons firing. Local people were so afraid,” Lwe Nywe, who lives in Kutkai, told SHAN. “Even though the clash didn’t take place in downtown Kutkai, we were hiding in bunkers because we heard very loud noises from heavy weapons being fired.” She added that the location of the fighting was not far from Kutkai town, and that a Kutkai-based battalion of the Burma Army had opened fire on the TNLA..."
Source/publisher: "Shan Herald Agency for News" (Myanmar)
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-23
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Title: In Myanmar’s North, Hopes to Return Home
Sub-title: Recent overtures suggest the government may be serious about ending years of conflict in its northern state.
Description: "The Jan Mai Kawng Baptist Church camp for internally displaced people is located on the outskirts of Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin state. Home to more than 1,000 people uprooted by conflict across Myanmar's most northern state, Jan Mai Kawng is a bustling place, where camp residents have established businesses, including restaurants, shops and even a makeshift hairdresser. Among the entrepreneurial tenants is Kai Ra, 52, who has established a small operation selling secondhand clothes in the camp. If business goes well, she can make about $7 a day, but acknowledged that on some days there is no income. "In my home village, I worked on the land and could live off it, but I have no land here," she says, standing outside her home in the camp. "I miss my home, and I miss my livestock: my chickens, my cows and my goats. I miss everything, but I can't go back home at the moment. It's not safe."..."
Source/publisher: US News (USA)
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-23
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Title: More Than 2,000 People Displaced, 19 Killed in Myanmar Fighting
Description: "More than 2,000 people have been forced to flee from their homes, and 19 have been killed, since fighting broke out between government troops and ethnic minority insurgents in northern Myanmar last week, government officials said Wednesday. The escalation in hostilities in Myanmar’s fractured north is another setback for civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s bid to bring peace amid a stuttering transition from full military rule. The people displaced in the latest fighting are sheltering in monasteries around Lashio town in the north of Shan State, and are depending on aid groups and the government for their supplies, aid workers said. "We are providing basic rescue materials as well as cash to displaced people in the camps, the injured people and also to family members of those who got killed," Soe Naing, director of the Department of Disaster Management in Shan State, told Reuters..."
Source/publisher: US News (USA)
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-23
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Title: Burma Army Attacks and Landslides in Northern Burma
Description: "Much of the reported military action during July took place in north-central Shan State. Civilians suffered from landslides in Hpakant Township while the Metta Organization was able to provide financial aid to families in Mansi Township. On July 23, the Metta Organization, which is a Kachin civil society organization helping with development and relief work, gave 150,000 kyats to families with over five household members, and 180,000 kyats to families with over seven household members in Mansi Township. The organization traveled from Manmaw (Bhamo). On July 23 at 1630 hrs, armed police and security guards from 111-Company, a commercial mining company in Hpakant Township, encountered jade mining thieves that had infiltrated the 111-Company’s compound. The police and security guards opened fire on the thieves with their small arms. A civilian, Zar Ni Htun (male, 37) suffered a gunshot wound to the left thigh. On July 23 at 2100 hrs, Kyaw La (male, 43) was buried in a landslide while mining jade at Gwihka Maw in Hpakant Township. He was from Gwihka Maw Tawng..."
Source/publisher: Free Burma Rangers (Myanmar)
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-20
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Title: Daily Burma Army Attacks In Kutkai Township Affect Local Population
Description: "Mid to late August saw almost daily fighting in Kutkai and Theinni townships in northern Shan State. Burma Army reinforcements were flown into Lashio on Aug. 17, soon deploying to numerous areas and engaging with Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), and Arakan Army (AA) forces. The civilian cost of the fighting remains high local areas like Mawhit Village, where a mortar killed five civilians and wounded three more. In Kutkai, there’s been an influx of roughly 500 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Kutkai. Ongoing reports show civilians getting killed or wounded due to the proximity of operating forces on both sides of the war. Additionally, markets in Lashio and Kutkai are closing down because of the recent violence, driving up food prices on the market..."
Source/publisher: Free Burma Rangers (Myanmar)
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-20
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Title: Fatal Clashes Break Out Between Tatmadaw, TNLA in Kutkai
Description: "The Burma Army and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) fought in northern Shan State’s Kutkai Township on Wednesday, leading to casualties on both sides, according to locals and the TNLA. A military column made up of troops from the Tatmadaw’s Light Infantry Battalion 15 and Light Infantry Division 99 clashed with TNLA forces between Mang Sap and Nawng Peik villages in at around 6:00 a.m. on October 16. According to a TNLA field report, three Burma army soldiers were killed and one injured, while one TNLA soldier was killed and one injured. NMG tried to call the Burma Army’s True News Information Team to confirm the casualties but received no response. “We heard the sound of shells landing around the clash location. Both sides shot at each other. The clash location is not far from the town… They exchanged gunfire for at least one hour,” a Kutkai local told NMG. Villagers around the area of fighting fled and sought refuge in Ward 2 of Kutkai town. A resident of Mang Sap village said he thought the fighting lasted until 7:30 a.m. and that at the time of reporting it had stopped..."
Source/publisher: "Network Media Group" (Thailand)
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-19
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Title: Armed groups continue to attack largest city in northern Myanmar state
Description: " Armed groups have continued to attack Lashio, the biggest city in Myanmar's northern Shan state, with heavy arms firing on the government forces and police stations, the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Services said. The attacks launched Friday night by the Arakan Army (AA), Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), destroyed bridges on Hsenwi-Kunlong road and burned a petrol station on Lashio-Hsenwi road, the military said in a statement released late Saturday. During the night, the combined armed groups also fired three rocket propelled grenades on a battalion headquarters in Kyaukme, Shan state and retreated to the west after being fired back by the armed forces. The groups also mined two reinforced concrete bridges of Byone Taung on Namt Slup-Kunlong road and Mantonsun on Hsenwi-Namt Slup road before dawn on Saturday. The military columns conducting security operations around Kutkai-Namtpatkha-Muse region also encountered with the armed groups until Saturday morning. In the armed groups' heavy arms attacks, a vehicle from a local philanthropic association from Lashio was hit with one being killed..."
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-12
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Title: Three Myanmar Soldiers Die in Shan State Ethnic Army Ambush
Description: "Three Myanmar government soldiers were killed and at least seven civilians and three other troops were injured Wednesday morning during a rebel army ambush on a military convoy in war-torn northern Shan state, local and military officials and area residents said. The Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), an ethnic Palaung armed group, attacked Myanmar soldiers in a market in Hsenwi township, also known as Hsenni, in Lashio district. “This morning, around 6 a.m. we heard several gunshots from town,” township administrator Myint Oo told RFA’s Myanmar Service. “I was stunned because I wasn’t familiar with these sounds. “Afterwards, I learned that a military convoy had been attacked,” he said. “When the soldiers from the convoy countered the attack, the other side had retreated.” Area residents said TNLA soldiers ambushed the convoy near the bazaar at the entrance of Hsenwi town, killing about three soldiers and wounding three others..."
Source/publisher: "Radio Free Asia (RFA)" (USA)
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-10
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Title: Volunteer ambulance crews brave bullets to save lives
Summary: "THE SMELL of the bodies permeates through the minivan as we make the 32-kilometre journey back to Lashio. In the back of the ambulance – a Toyota Super Custom minivan – are two yellow bags...
Sub-title: Volunteers with community service ambulances in northern Shan State are taking big risks to help others in conflict zones – and sometimes pay with their lives.
Description: "THE SMELL of the bodies permeates through the minivan as we make the 32-kilometre journey back to Lashio. In the back of the ambulance – a Toyota Super Custom minivan – are two yellow bags containing the bodies of U Win Maung, 61, and his wife, Daw Aye Mya, from Man Kaung village. The smell doesn’t seem to bother the volunteers from the Giving Hand aid group. As we pull out of Man Kaung, Ko Kaung Zaw, 22, slips down the surgical mask on his face and takes a long drink of Sprite from a bottle that had been resting beside the body bags. For most of the journey back to Lashio, Kaung Zaw, who has been volunteering with Giving Hand for about three years, scrolls through Facebook on his phone, paying little attention as the bodies slide around due to the winding road. But this was no ordinary emergency. Win Maung, a former member of the Tatmadaw, was the leader of the Mong Yan militia. The couple were killed when their home was bombarded with grenades and M79 grenade-launcher fire in an apparently targeted attack on the evening of August 20..."
Source/publisher: "Frontier Myanmar" (Myanmar)
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-08
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Title: Myanmar-China trade hurt by rebel attacks
Sub-title: Intense fighting along major route halts fortune in cross-border trade
Description: "Cross-border trade between Myanmar and China has ground to a halt since rebels launched coordinated attacks on several targets along a major trade route on Aug. 15. The Northern Alliance -- a rebel collation of the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), Arakan Army and Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army -- attacked a major military training academy near Myanmar’s second largest city, Mandalay, and several positions in northeastern Shan state bordering China. The Myanmar government said the attacks left at least 15 dead, including three civilians, and caused around $200,000 worth of damage to properties and buildings..."
Source/publisher: "ASIA - PACIFIC"
Date of entry/update: 2019-09-22
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Title: Ta'ang Villagers Flee Myanmar Army Bombardment
Summary: "Namhsan Township in northern Shan State has seen more than 1,000 villagers flee their homes amid ongoing fighting between the Myanmar army and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA). Namhsan’...
Description: "Namhsan Township in northern Shan State has seen more than 1,000 villagers flee their homes amid ongoing fighting between the Myanmar army and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA). Namhsan’s Lway Plang Gar Houre of the Ta’ang Women’s Organization (TWO), which helps displaced people, told The Irrawaddy that community leaders had opened a fourth camp to cope with the growing numbers arriving. “One more house was destroyed by artillery [Sunday]. The other villagers were afraid and they fled,” said Lway Plang Gar Houre. About 200 Kayar Lan villagers fled yesterday. The fighting broke out on Sept. 13 after an army assault on the TNLA position at Taung Yoe (Mountain) Pagoda. The TNLA outpost overlooks Namhsan, reportedly leading the army to fear it could be used to target the town..."
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy" (Myanmar, Thailand)
Date of entry/update: 2019-09-17
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Title: Week in Review : Ceasefire declared
Sub-title: Three ethnic armed groups that belong to the Northern Alliance on Monday declared a month-long ceasefire with the government to give peace talks more time.
Description: "The alliance’s Ta’ang National Liberation Army, Arakan Army (AA), and Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army have clashed with the Tatmadaw (military) numerous times since August 15, when they launched surprise attacks on Pyin Oo Lwin in Mandalay Region and Nawngcho in Shan State. The alliance also includes the Kachin Independence Army, which has not been involved in the clashes. A joint statement by the three groups warned that while the truce would mean their forces would not attack military positions, they will defend themselves if necessary. During a meeting between government negotiators and representatives of the alliance on August 31 in Kyaingtong, the military extended its unilateral ceasefire in five military commands until September 21. The military first declared the ceasefire in Shan and Kachin states in December. But the ceasefire did not include Rakhine State, where the AA operates..."
Source/publisher: "Myanmar Times"
Date of entry/update: 2019-09-15
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Title: Week in Review : Ceasefire declared
Sub-title: Three ethnic armed groups that belong to the Northern Alliance on Monday declared a month-long ceasefire with the government to give peace talks more time.
Description: "The alliance’s Ta’ang National Liberation Army, Arakan Army (AA), and Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army have clashed with the Tatmadaw (military) numerous times since August 15, when they launched surprise attacks on Pyin Oo Lwin in Mandalay Region and Nawngcho in Shan State. The alliance also includes the Kachin Independence Army, which has not been involved in the clashes. A joint statement by the three groups warned that while the truce would mean their forces would not attack military positions, they will defend themselves if necessary. During a meeting between government negotiators and representatives of the alliance on August 31 in Kyaingtong, the military extended its unilateral ceasefire in five military commands until September 21. The military first declared the ceasefire in Shan and Kachin states in December. But the ceasefire did not include Rakhine State, where the AA operates..."
Source/publisher: "Myanmar Times"
Date of entry/update: 2019-09-15
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Title: Fighting Reported Between Myanmar Military, TNLA
Description: "Fighting between the Myanmar military (or Tatmadaw) and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) intensified in northern Shan State on Friday, near the town of Namhsan, according to locals. The fighting broke out despite a recently announce one-month ceasefire between the groups. The fighting broke out around 7 a.m. when the Tatmadaw attacked a TNLA base at mountain pagoda locals called Taung Yoe Pagoda, according to TNLA spokesperson Major Tar Aike Kyaw. It halted a bit after 9 a.m. but resumed at 1 p.m. and was ongoing for the rest of the day, he said. “Our troops are based on that mountain. Fighting broke out because they came and attacked our troops,” Major Tar Aike Kyaw, TNLA spokesperson, said. Locals told The Irrawaddy that the Tatmadaw brought in two army helicopters to reinforce ground attacks at around 2:30 p.m., which were firing long-range artillery. Tatmadaw spokesperson Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun confirmed to The Irrawaddy intermittent fighting had occurred in the area Friday, and that the Tatmadaw employed helicopters..."
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy"
Date of entry/update: 2019-09-14
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Title: China Traders Face Rising Prices After Myanmar Attacks
Summary: "Although the security situation in northern Shan State has stabilized, businesses say they are still on the alert about their safety and transport costs, which are rising due to a shortage of trucks...
Description: "Although the security situation in northern Shan State has stabilized, businesses say they are still on the alert about their safety and transport costs, which are rising due to a shortage of trucks. The attacks by the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, Arakan Army and Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army on military and civilian targets on Aug. 15 destroyed the Goke Twin bridge on the Muse-Mandalay highway, a major trade route with China. “It took about five days to repair the bridge and it was reopened on Aug. 20. But there were roadblocks [due to several other bridges being destroyed] between Kutkai and Muse, so we could only fully use the road again after Sept. 5. The bridge can only carry trucks weighing up to 48 tons, so everyone wants to hire those trucks to transport their goods. Therefore, the price went up,” said U Win Aung Khant, the chairman of the Muse Highway Freight Forwarders Association..."
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy"
Date of entry/update: 2019-09-13
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Title: Curfew Continues in Northern Myanmar’s Kokang Over Concerns About Armed Conflict
Description: "A four-year-long curfew in Laukkai and Konkyan townships of Kokang Self-Administered Zone (SAZ) in northern Shan State was extended on Monday. States of emergency and martial law have been in place in Kokang SAZ since Feb. 17, 2015, after armed clashes broke out between the Myanmar army and armed groups including the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA). The deputy director of the General Administration Office of the Kokang SAZ, U Tun Kyaw Kyaw, signed the curfew extension on Monday under Section 144 of the Criminal Code. The curfew states that no one shall go outside their homes in Laukkai and Konkyan between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., that gatherings of five or more people are strictly prohibited and that anyone who breaks the curfew will face legal action. “The curfew has been extended every two months since February 2015, after the armed conflict, but now the time limitation has been reduced,” said U Kyaw Ni Naing, a member of the Upper House of the Union Parliament for Laukkai constituency. Under the previous curfew, locals were restricted from leaving their homes between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. “We had requested through the [Union] parliament that the government terminate the curfew because stability and peace in our region have been restored,” said U Kyaw Ni Naing. Kokang SAZ has largely been spared from the ongoing armed conflict between the Myanmar military and the Brotherhood Alliance—the TNLA, the MNDAA and the Arakan Army (AA). U Kyaw Ni Naing said the government is concerned about stability in the region..."
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy"
Date of entry/update: 2019-09-11
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Title: Myanmar: Civilians Caught in Shan State Fighting
Sub-title: Improve Civilian Protection, Access to Aid
Description: "Myanmar’s armed forces and the three ethnic armed groups fighting in northern Shan State should safeguard civilians, Human Rights Watch said today. Renewed fighting since August 15, 2019 has resulted in the deaths of at least 17 civilians and injured 27, many of them women and children, according to the United Nations. Approximately 7,500 people were displaced by the fighting in August, and 3,500 remain in temporary shelters. Nongovernmental groups have told Human Rights Watch that armed forces on both sides have stopped humanitarian aid convoys from traveling to affected populations, resulting in shortages of food and medicine. Myanmar’s military and ethnic armed groups should recognize that protecting civilians is a core obligation of the laws of war,” said Brad Adams, Asia director. “All sides to the conflict should cease unlawful attacks against civilians and ensure that aid reaches people in need.” Since independence in 1948, the Myanmar government has been engaged in numerous armed conflicts with ethnic armed groups across the country. Four of those armed groups, the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, Arakan Army, and Kachin Independence Army, have allied into a coalition called the Northern Alliance..."
Source/publisher: "Human Rights Watch"
Date of entry/update: 2019-09-08
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Title: Myanmar ethnic group wants greater role from China in peace process in the country
Sub-title: Myanmar ethnic group wants greater role for China
Description: "As the political reconciliation is underway in Myanmar, Shan State Army-South (SSAS) chair, Lieutenant General Yawd Serk, hopes China will play a greater role in the process of achieving peace in the country. The general, who is also Chairman of the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), told the Global Times that he has had talks with China's Asia affairs special envoy. "I hope China can participate in Myanmar peace process at a greater width. China and Myanmar have a long border and China's boundary with Shan State is also very long." Despite the Myanmar government's optimism that peace will prevail across the country, Yawd Serk said that he had almost "lost confidence." "The cease-fire agreement has not brought any changes, the whole situation has worsened," he told the Global Times. Since October 2015, Myanmar's government has signed the landmark Nationwide Cease-fire Accord (NCA) with 10 ethnic armed groups including SSAS, which was viewed as an important step in resolving the country's conflicts. On February 12, Myanmar President U Win Myint said the government is currently in negotiations with ethnic armed organizations which have not yet signed the NCA in an effort to realize a final peace deal, Xinhua reported. It's been reported that military conflicts in Myanmar occur to 200 to 300 times a year..."
Source/publisher: "Global Times"
Date of entry/update: 2019-09-05
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Title: What do Recent Rebel Attacks Say About Myanmar’s National Security
Description: "Welcome to Dateline Irrawaddy! As everyone knows, three members of the Northern Alliance launched attacks on five places and the Defense Services Technological Academy in Pyin Oo Lwin on Aug. 15. Fighting ensued and the Muse-Lashio Road was blocked. Some experts viewed it as a security breach. I will discuss with Dr. Min Zaw Oo to what extent the military and the government are lacking cooperation, and to what extent the ongoing clashes are worrying to the people of Myanmar. It is nearly 70 years that civil war has been ongoing in Myanmar. There are nearly 20 ethnic armed groups in Myanmar. In Southeast Asia and South Asia, Myanmar has experienced a serious armed conflict with a large number of armed groups fighting over territorial disputes, and the latest attack carried out by three members of the Northern Alliance on the military academy has shocked many people. How worrying do you think the situation is? It is not that difficult to launch an attack on the Defense Services Technological Academy with rockets. It is not that the rebels came into the town and launched attacks. Though the attack in Goke Twin can be called a security breach, the place is not a stronghold, but a soft target. What is worrying is the attack that has blocked for ten days the Mandalay-Muse Road, the lifeline of Myanmar’s trade. They launched the attack with the intention of cutting off the economic lifeline. The ambition is not just a military one, it is intended to cut off a strategic route for trade and commodity flows, and therefore this will impact various strata of society. The road is a strategic route and the impact is strategic, so this led to a question—how much our leaders had thought about this and prepared in advance? Rather than responding only after attacks on strategic places, we should have—there is no national security policy that identifies places critical to the interests of the whole country and the people, that outlines how to protect those interests and how to solve problems and how to connect peace and security. Because of the lack of such a policy, certain things that should be done based on such a policy can’t be carried out. I think the political rivalries and political problems resulting from the 2008 Constitution have impacted national security..."
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy"
Date of entry/update: 2019-08-31
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Title: Terror and tears in northern Shan State
Sub-title: Terrified civilians are bearing the brunt of the upsurge in fighting in northern Shan State, as death and displacement rise due to attacks for which no armed force is claiming responsibility.
Description: "WHEN MORE than 70 troops from the Tatmadaw’s Infantry Battalion 68 deployed in Kone Sar village, about 13 kilometres northeast of Lashio town in northern Shan State on August 17, the residents were fearful. Their nerves had been on edge since the previous day, when Tatmadaw helicopter gunships had launched attacks on suspected targets in nearby farmland and jungle-clad hills. The villagers had sought refuge in a small monastery at one end of Kone Sar. When the newly arriving troops moved into the monastery compound, set up two mortars and fired two rounds into the village, residents knew they needed to take cover further away. They made the decision to flee, leaving behind just one person from each household. Starting from the morning of August 18, scores of Kone Sar villagers fled on foot to the monastery at Mong Tin village, a few kilometres away. Among the departing villagers later that night were Sai Lon Aye, 42, and Sai Thein Kyi, 56. They were discussing what to carry and how long they might be away when they heard mortar fire and began running for cover. Thein Kyi was the faster runner. When he looked back, he saw Lon Aye’s body sprawled on the road; shrapnel from a mortar had struck the back of his head, killing him instantly..."
Source/publisher: "Frontier Myanmar"
Date of entry/update: 2019-08-29
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Title: Myanmar army warns of full-scale war in Shan State
Description: "The Myanmar military accused an ethnic armed group operating in Myanmar’s northeastern Shan state of terrorism and drug trafficking, and warned of all-out war, according to a report by RFA on 23 August. The message was conveyed by Major General Tun Tun Nyi at a press conference in Nay Pyi Taw in response to the August 15 attacks on military and civilian targets close to Mandalay. According to the RFA report, the army spokesman said most of the attacks on August 15 were not in military-related places and were “terrorism acts”. “They were more than terrorist attacks. They were an act of brutality and could be described as a war crime,” he said, adding they tarnished the government and country’s image. The surprising August 15 attacks by the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), an ethnic Palaung group, and two other ethnic armies, the Arakan Army (AA), and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), left 15 people dead, including nine soldiers, and an equal number injured..."
Source/publisher: "Mizzima"
Date of entry/update: 2019-08-25
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Title: Shan State Village Militia Chief Slain as Conflicts Hinder Myanmar’s Trade With China
Description: "A village militia chief and his wife were shot dead Tuesday evening by unknown gunmen in Myanmar’s war-ravaged northern Shan state, while a government official said recent coordinated attacks by rebel armies in the region have seriously affected crucial trade routes with China. Chinese-speaking and Shan-speaking assailants killed Win Maung, militia chief of Mong Yang village-tract, and his wife when they threw explosives and fired several shots from all directions into his home and a nearby office in the village in Lashio township, locals and a family member who survived the attack said. Win Maung’s two sons and two daughters were away from home on a trip when the attack occurred, but his grandson was in the house and managed to escape. “I heard the blasts sounding like fireworks,” the grandson said. “I tried to hide, but my grandfather told me to leave the house. I asked him to come with me, but he didn’t. I jumped out of the house and ran into the fields.” He said he caught up with other villagers who ran from the village during the attack, and they tried to hide on the other side of the river..."
Source/publisher: "RFA"
Date of entry/update: 2019-08-22
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Title: In Myanmar’s Shan State, Villagers Wounded, Trapped, and Living in Fear
Description: "With ongoing fighting between the Myanmar military, or Tatmadaw, and armed ethnic rebel groups in their own backyards, villagers in northern Shan State’s Kutkai Township fear for their own safety and wellbeing, as neighbors wounded in the crossfire find themselves cutoff from access to medical care. At least two civilians are now wounded and in urgent need of medical care there, in the village of Mong Yu, but are trapped by the ongoing conflict and cut off from access to nearby hospitals, local sources told The Irrawaddy. Mai Aike Ywan was shot in the leg and hand Sunday evening while driving his motorbike on a stretch of highway that fighting has spread to in the wake of an ethnic armed groups’ counteroffensive against the Tatmadaw. “He was brought to the village clinic last night for treatment,” Ta’ang Women’s Organization (TWO) member Kham Mat said. “His blood pressure was low, and his wounds could be fatal,” she said, adding that he was in urgent need of medical care at a hospital..."
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy"
Date of entry/update: 2019-08-20
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Title: Three Myanmar Ethnic Armies Stage Attacks in Mandalay Region And Northern Shan State
Description: "An alliance of ethnic armed groups launched attacks in five locations in Myanmar’s Mandalay region and northern Shan state early Thursday, leaving at least 11 people confirmed dead and several others injured, in retaliation for government army offenses in Shan and Rakhine states, sources in the areas hit said. In a development that appeared to raise hostilities between rebel armies and national forces to an unprecedented level, the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), Arakan Army (AA), and Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) fired heavy artillery at the Myanmar military’s Defense Services Technology Academy and a toll gate in Mandalay’s Pyin Oo Lwin township, according to an announcement by the government armed forces. The rebels from three militaries of the Northern Alliance of ethnic forces also attacked a police outpost at the Goke Twin Bridge, a toll gate, and a military regimental command in Shan state’s Nawngkhio township. All three armies have been engaged in hostilities with Myanmar forces, with the AA fighting government troops in a quest for greater autonomy in Rakhine state, and the TNLA and MNDAA fighting over territory and lucrative resources in northern Shan state..."
Source/publisher: "RFA"
Date of entry/update: 2019-08-18
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Title: Clash Summary: Battles Continue in Northern Shan State Throughout August
Description: "The combined forces of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) have been defending northern Shan State against Burma Army advances during the month of August. However, these ethnic armed groups (EAGs) continued to lose territory to Burma Army attacks, while the Burma Army sacrificed 20 soldiers’ lives to keep advancing. Conflict in Danai Township in August was similar to July in that the Burma Army limited their actions to artillery attacks against the KIA 14th Battalion and 2nd Brigade. Rains and flooding are limiting factors for troops and vehicles to patrol in the north. In August, troop-on-troop conflicts in Kutkai, Theinni (Hseni), Manton, Muse, and Namtu townships in northern Shan State were more frequent than in Kachin State, where fighting is usually heaviest. Of the 25 attacks that occurred in northern Shan State, 23 were troop-on-troop battles, one was a landmine explosion, and one a Burma Army artillery attack..."
Source/publisher: Free Burma Rangers
Date of publication: 2018-09-13
Date of entry/update: 2018-12-14
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Title: Early July Clash Account Summary: Kachin State and Northern Shan State
Description: ''Hostilities in Kachin State and northern Shan State remain almost a daily occurrence. Compared to the first two weeks of June which had five clashes and 12 attacks, July has had nine clashes and nine attacks. Most clashes have occurred in Danai and Hpakant townships. Heavy rains have reduced the number of clashes in the region, yet civilians and combatants still suffer from continued Burma Army advances. Throughout the first half of July there were six military actions in Danai Township. Nawng Nyang and Zup Mai villages, approximately 15 kilometers east of Danai Town and the Myitkyina – Danai highway, as well as Nam Hkam Village, approximately 20 kilometers southwest of Danai Town, were the areas of contention. Over 2000 people were displaced east of Danai in April, some of which only recently emerged from hiding in the jungle. Over the 14th, 15th and 16th of July, there was heavy fighting in Hpakant Township in the region west of Kamaing Town. The biggest battle occurred throughout the day of July 14th when KIA soldiers from Bum Chyang Post defended against approximately 100 Burma Army soldiers from Ja Ra Yang Base. At 1630 Burma Army forces fired four mortar rounds toward Bum Chyang from Ja Ra Yang...''
Source/publisher: Free Burma Rangers
Date of publication: 2018-07-30
Date of entry/update: 2018-12-14
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Title: July 16-31 Clash Summary: Kachin State and Northern Shan State
Description: "Burma Army indiscretions in Kachin and Northern Shan states continue to wound civilians, bringing the total this month to six. Mortars fired by the Burma Army during a clash in Manton Township in Northern Shan State wounded the villager Mr. Aik Ye, hitting him with shrapnel in the waist. The clash occurred on July 18th at 12:45 between approximately 60 Burma Army soldiers and troops from the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) 3rd Brigade. In Danai Township, on July 22, two civilians, Mr. Maran Tang Seng, and Ms. Gawlu Roi were wounded and one KIA soldier, Nhkum Naw Awng, were killed when they stepped on a landmine planted by the Burma Army..."
Source/publisher: Free Burma Rangers
Date of publication: 2018-08-03
Date of entry/update: 2018-12-14
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Title: INGOs Cannot Reach Lahu Areas and the Needs of the Lahu People
Description: "Kyar Yin Shell is a 26-year-old young man from Kengtung, the ?dark and dirty? capital city of eastern Salween in the Shan State. While Kengtung has not seen civil war for over two decades, development is non-existent and electricity scarce. Kyar Yin Shell is Lahu, a little known ethnic group that lives scattered around the mountains of Burma, China, Laos, and Thailand. As most Lahu people, Kyar Yin Shell grew up in a village, but unlike many others he was lucky enough to go to school. As a teenager, hard-working Kyar Yin Shell had great hopes for his future until it all seems to end one day; wrong medical treatment left Kyar Yin Shell paralyzed. Kyar Yin Shell lost all hope for his future and like so many others in the Shan State, he became addicted to drugs. During those dark times, Kyar Yin Shell could never have known that he would not only survive and learn to live with his disability, but work actively for his people and travel overseas to represent his country. Kyar Yin Shell?s story shows how much life can surprise you. If you take the chance."...See the Alternate link for part 2.
Source/publisher: Burma Link
Date of publication: 2015-07-30
Date of entry/update: 2016-03-20
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Title: Ta?ang (Palaung) Leader Tar Aik Bong: ?Without Proper Political Solutions, There Will Be No Lasting Peace?
Description: "Tar Aik Bong is a leader of the Ta?ang (Palaung) people, one of Burma?s ethnic nationalities that continues a daily struggle for survival in largely inaccessible areas in northern Shan State. He joined the Ta?ang liberation movement in 1987, and currently serves as Chairman of Palaung State Liberation Front (PSLF) and Head of the military commission of Ta?ang National Liberation Army (TNLA). TNLA is one of the few ethnic armies that continues to fight against the Burma army and vows not to lay down arms until equal rights and a lasting political solution is achieved. TNLA fights to ?obtain freedom for all Ta?ang nationals from oppression, to form Ta?ang autonomous regions that guarantee democracy and human rights, to oppose and fight against dictatorship and any form of racial discrimination, to attain national equality and self-determination and to establish a genuine Federal Union that guarantees Ta?ang autonomy and to eliminate cultivation, production, sale and use of narcotics.” Tar Aik Bong is also a member of the ethnic alliance United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) council and Foreign Affairs Department. In an exclusive interview with Burma Link, Tar Aik Bong talks about the causes and current situation of the Ta?ang conflict, the role of the UNFC, and the brutal tactics that the Burmese military uses against Ta?ang civilians in order to cut the opposition movement. Tar Aik Bong also discusses the Burmese military?s instrumental role in the epidemic drug usage in Ta?ang areas, and TNLA?s plan to eradicate the drugs."
Source/publisher: Burma Link
Date of publication: 2014-11-11
Date of entry/update: 2016-03-18
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Title: Ta?ang (Palaung) Leader?s Message to the International Community: ?Come and See the Real Picture in Our Areas?
Description: "The Ta?ang, also known as Palaung, are one of Burma?s myriad ethnic groups who have been fighting for basic human rights and autonomy for decades. Despite the international enthusiasm over Burma?s reform process, the reality in Burma?s ethnic borderlands remains dire, and the Burmese military continues its brutal offensive against ethnic civilians. Tar Aik Bong joined the Ta?ang struggle in 1987, and is now the Chairperson of the Palaung State Liberation Front (PSLF), the Head of military commission of the Ta?ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), as well as a member of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) council and Foreign Affairs Department. The PSLF/TNLA is one of the few prominent ethnic armed groups yet to sign a ceasefire with the Burmese government. The following is Tar Aik Bong?s message to the international community."
Source/publisher: Burma Link
Date of entry/update: 2016-03-18
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Title: We Are Not Rebels? We Fight for Democracy: Ta?ang (TNLA) Soldiers
Description: "Ta?ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), the armed wing of Palaung State Liberation Front (PSLF), is one of the ethnic resistance armed organisations that vows not to lay down arms until there is a guarantee of political negotiations. Burma Link spoke with two TNLA soldiers, Mai and Mai Main, who were sent by their leaders to study human rights and politics in Mae Sot, so that they could go back to Ta?ang land and educate other soldiers. These two soldiers studied in Mae Sot for a year, and believed it is their responsibility to go back to Burma to educate others and safeguard their people?s rights. In this interview, they share their story on how and why they became involved with the TNLA and why the Ta?ang people so strongly support their army. Mai and Mai Main, aged 23 and 26, are now back in the battle fields of northern Shan State." ..."END NOTE: Although TNLA is a member of the ethnic alliance United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), the government has tried to exclude the group from the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) talks. TNLA is an ally of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), and fights alongside the Arakan Army (AA) and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) in northern Shan State, to obtain freedom and to establish a genuine federal union. TNLA also fights to eliminate cultivation, production, sale and use of drugs in their traditional lands. Read more."
Source/publisher: Burma Link
Date of publication: 2015-07-13
Date of entry/update: 2016-03-17
[field_licence]
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Title: Myanmar?s long road to peace
Description: "Despite a ceasefire signed in 2011, clashes continue between ethnic Shan rebels and government troops....Like many other armed ethnic groups, the SSA-S signed a ceasefire after Myanmar transitioned to a nominally civilian government in 2011. Deadly clashes between SSA-S forces and the Myanmar military, however, continue despite the agreement. Accordingly, Myanmar?s government is pushing the country?s armed ethnic groups to sign a new nationwide ceasefire this year..."
Source/publisher: Al Jazeera
Date of publication: 2014-03-02
Date of entry/update: 2014-08-22
[field_licence]
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Local URL:
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Title: Tensions and Concerns in Shan State
Description: "As the Thein Sein Government?s peace process with its armed ethnic minorities continues, concerns remain in relation to Burma Army activities in Shan State and claims that the UWSA has increased its arsenal and is seeking an autonomous Wa State. Although armed ethnic groups, like the RCSS-SSA, have continually attempted to minimalize the impact of various clashes with the Burma Army, the continuing offensive in Northern Shan State, the on-going conflict in Kachin State, and reports of a possible offensive against the Wa further threatens peace in the area and could result in both the RCSS/SSA and the UWSA being drawn into a much wider conflict..."
Editor: Lian H. Sakhong | Author: Paul Keenan
Source/publisher: Burma Centre for Ethnic Studies (Analysis Paper No. 7, May 2013)
Date of publication: 2013-04-30
Date of entry/update: 2013-06-17
[field_licence]
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 184.18 KB
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