Junta troops killed in clash by Shan rebels

Ethnic armed groups are angry and bent on fighting injustice of the junta. Its a victory for the Shan State Army-South (SSA-S) over the Infantry Battalion 525 and 99 in this story by Saw Yan Naing in The Irrawaddy. As expected to happen, the Shan villagers were at the receiving end of the SPDC soldiers' torturing fit to exact their revenge. Such a lofty sacrifice by a people on the road to freedom for Burma. May the ethnic peoples of Burma and the Burmese fighters for democracy continue to have the strength and power to make Burma free. The story unfolds here in The Irrawaddy.

"About 20 Burmese junta soldiers were killed and eight were injured in an ambush in Nam Zam Township in Shan State by Shan State Army-South (SSA-S) soldiers on Saturday, according to a rebel spokesperson.

Sai Lao Hseng told The Irrawaddy on Thursday that based on a military field report the fighting lasted about 3 hours. Three clashes have occurred in Shan State between Burmese troops and the SSA-S this month, he said.

Soldiers of Shan State Army-South (SSA-S) take part in the military drill in their base near the Burma-Thai border in February. (Photo: Reuters)

He said that after the firefight some local villagers who lived near the battle scene were tortured by regime troops. The army told the villagers that they had failed to report information about the Shan rebels and accused them of providing food to the rebels, according to Sai Lao Hseng.

He said that no Shan soldiers were killed or injured during the fighting. The rebels seized some weapons and ammunition after the fighting, he said.

The government troops were from Infantry Battalion 525 and 99 led by Capt Tin Aung Moe, he said.

Recently, Burmese government troops have regularly patrolled and launched offensives against ethnic rebels in eastern Burma.

Many observers say the Burmese regime may soon launch offensives against ethnic cease-fire groups that have refused to transform their troops into a border guard force under the command of the junta.

According to government military sources, more than 70,000 additional regime troops have been sent to northeastern Shan State where strong ethnic cease-fire groups such as United Wa State Army (UWSA) and Kachin Independence Army (KIA) are based."

KIO continues to oppose BGF

Ruili (Mizzima) – An adamant Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), continuing to oppose conversion of its armed wing the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) into the Border Guard Force (BGF) said, while marking the 49th Kachin Resistance Day, today that it would continue to demand ethnic rights.

In his address sent to the Kachin Resistance Day celebrations held in Laiza in Kachin State this morning, KIO Chiarman U Zawng Hra said that they wanted ethnic rights as envisaged in the historic Panlong Agreement, which was the key to establishing a Union during the independence struggle.

“Our organization is not for money and not for killing people. We are still into revolutionary struggle for self-determination rights agreed to in the Panlong Agreement long ago but which remain unfulfilled till today. If the junta is adamant about the BGF, we will reiterate our demands based on the Panlong Agreement,” a KIO administrative official who attended the ceremony told Mizzima.

The junta has been pressurizing all ethnic armed ceasefire groups to transform their troops into the BGF. The KIO on its part has had parleys with Burmese Army brass on this contentious issue 11 times till the end of last month but there has been no breakthrough. Amidst the impasse, the KIO Chairman has reiterated the outfit’s position rejecting the BGF in his address today.

The Kachin Resistance Day held in Laiza was on a small scale and attended by 500 guests.

“According to the ceremony agenda, KIO Forest and Agricultural Minister Col. Nau San read out the Chairman’s speech. Then Home Minister Chieftain Dwe Li Sa expounded on the speech. After which the list of enlisted personnel with over 10 to 40 years service was read out,” a KIO officer said.

Most KIO central committee members did not attend today’s ceremony. The sports meet was slated for the afternoon and entertainment programmes for the evening, it is learnt.

The 49th Kachin Resistance Day is being held on a grand scale in areas controlled by KIA’s 1st Brigade in Sumpra Bum Township, Kachin State from February 3 to 6. It is learnt that the junta’s representatives were not invited to the ceremony held today.

KIO reached a ceasefire agreement with the junta in February 1994. It is the only outfit in Kachin State which is still rejecting the regime’s BGF proposal.

There are three ethnic armed Kachin ceasefire groups in Kachin State. Of which, the New Democratic Army – Kachin (NDA-K) led by U Zahkung Ting Ying agreed to transform its troops to BGF. Another, KIO breakaway faction led by U Lasang Awng Wa, based in La Wah Yan village, Wai Maw Township, has converted its troops into a people’s militia toeing the junta’s line.

Each BGF battalion will have 326 personnel of which 30 will be from the Burmese Army and will be under its control. The salaries will be disbursed to all the personnel by the central government.

Edited by Ye Yint Aung in Mizzima

Kachin reject border guard force 2nd time

An ethnic Burmese ceasefire group has learned from history. Based from a story sourced from The Irrawaddy, the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), one of the biggest ethnic ceasefire groups, again rejected the military junta’s border guard force plan and called for autonomy in Kachin State.

Read more here from The Irrawaddy.

The meeting between the KIO and Burmese military officials led by Maj-Gen Soe Win, the commander of the Northern Regional Command and head of the transformation committee of the border guard force for the Northern Regional Command, took place in Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State and the headquarters of the regional command, on July 8.

KIA recruits pledge to remember the martyrs who gave their lives for the Kachin people.

Representatives of the KIO told the Burmese that the KIO wanted to keep its military wing, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), under its current status and rejected having Burmese military commanders in its ethnic armed forces.

More here

United Wa Army brace strength against junta

The junta regime here in Burma is consistent in reinforcing its military strength against ethnic armies. This time, against the United Wa State Army (UWSA)in the Shan State in Mong Tong Township.

Speaking to The Irrawaddy on Tuesday, Sai Sheng Murng, the deputy spokesman of the rival Shan State Army-South (SSA) said seven M120 120 mm mortars were sent to reinforce Burmese Infantry Battalion No 65 on June 20.

The battalion is based in Nakawngmu village, Pong Pa Khem Sub-Township, Mong Tong Township, in eastern Shan State, which is about 29 kilometers from the Thai-Burma border.

Find out more about this in Burma sends mortars to Shan State

Fleeing Karens trapped in Burma as junta tells EU its 'biased report'

Fleeing ethnic Burmese who wanted to evade the counter insurgency move of the military junta’s State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) and the State-led Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) against the Karen rebel army, now find themselves trapped in Burma. Military elements of DKBA are guarding the borders and preventing ethnic Karens from leaving the country.

“The villagers are fleeing an offensive against Brigade 7 of the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) that began nearly two weeks ago. Civilians are routinely targeted by Burmese troops as part of the regime’s efforts to cripple KNLA resistance,” Irrawaddy reports.

Karens and other ethnic Burmese living near the borders have been running to neighboring countries as Thailand, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Lao to escape the brutalities of the Burmese junta.

What future awaits the hapless civilians is a pressing international concern Burma cannot ignore by saying “don’t interfere in our internal affairs”.

As this developed, Myanmar dismissed European Union concerns about military operations against Karen rebels as political meddling. The EU last week called for an immediate truce.

Burma’s Foreign Ministry said EU's criticism was "unwarranted," "politically motivated" and based on "inaccurate information originating from the insurgent groups and biased media reports", Associated Press reports in Myanmar dismisses EU concerns over Karen refugees.

With dreadful violations of human rights perpetrated by junta regime manifested on suffering ethnic Burmese most especially, more international pressure is needed. What more, a case against the generals for commission of crimes against humanity is wanting .