Burma should review its war-game with ethnic groups

 By Zin Linn

A 20-minute armed clash occurred on Tuesday between Burmese Army soldiers and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in Kachin State, northern Burma, Kachin News Group reported. Three Burmese soldiers, from the Dawh-pum-Yang-based Infantry Battalion No. 142, were killed in action.
The government soldiers were ambushed by a KIA unit under Brigade 5, said KIA officials.

Also on August 28 and 29, there was a heavy fighting at Lungja Bum Kadawng (Lungja hillside) in N’Mawk (Momauk) Township in Manmaw (Bhamo) Township, in Northern Kachin State,  between KIA and government troops. Not less than seven Burma Army soldiers were killed in the battle and more than three injured.

No political dialogue happened in more than 16-year ceasefire time and the KIO was intimidated to remove weapons and transform into the Burmese Army-controlled Border Guard Force (BGF) before the November 7 election in 2010.

The KIO dismissed the BGF plan, saying it cannot accept transformation of its armed wing. KIA officials constantly said the civil war will spread across Kachin and Shan states if the government did not stop fighting upon the KIO.


During the latest series of armed clashes in Kachin state, Burmese armed forces have suffered heavy casualties.

It was biggest defeat of Burmese troops in fighting with the KIA in Kachin State earlier this week, according to KIA officials at the Laiza headquarters in eastern Kachin State.

The August-28/29 skirmishing happened between over 200 government troops, combined with local battalions and the Sagaing-based Light Infantry Division No. 33 and the KIA fighters under Battalion 15 command, KIA officials said.

On 24 June, Union Parliament Speaker Shwe Mann said to parliament representatives in Yangon Region that the battles between the Burmese soldiers and KIA caused fear among the local people as well as in the nation. In that case, Thein Zaw, a member of parliament in Myitkyina, coordinated with authorities concerned and was able to put the situation under control.

He also said, “As a result, the region has restored peace and stability to nearly a full extent. Duty-conscious people and responsible and dutiful representatives of the people are required to act so in their regions. People’s representatives are to take precautionary measures if there is a likelihood of an attempt to harm peace and stability and to try to solve such problems without fail if they occur.”

However, people all over the country do not agree with his words because they have been listening to update news on the armed conflict in Kachin State aired by foreign radio stations – BBC, VOA, RFA and DVB.

Battles are going on constantly and several Burmese soldiers were killed in various clashes with Kachin Independence Army (KIA) troops in northern Kachin State.

The KIA officials said the recent heavy fighting took place when the government armed forces march into the area adjoining locations entrenched by KIA Battalions 1 and 15, under Brigade 3 command. The fighting has intensified near KIA military bases in Kachin State and Northern Shan State after different ceasefire proposals from each side failed to result in an agreement during two-party talks in early August.

Some analysts deem armed conflicts in Burma possibly will become wider since more ethnic armed groups refuse to accept the junta’s new constitution which says Burma Army is the only military institution in the country.

The armed ethnic groups also consider the incoming nominally civilian government which loyal to the 2008 constitution will not let their basic rights or self-determination in accordance with the 1947 Panglong Agreement.

A July-28-open-letter offered by Burma’s pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, strongly called for a ceasefire between the Burmese government, led by President Thein Sein, and ethnic armed groups, including the KIO, Karen National Union (KNU), New Mon State Party (NMSP) and the Shan State Army (SSA).

Thus, several ethnic armed groups including the KIA have already decided to defend their basic rights by holding their guns. If the new President Thein Sein government took no notice of addressing this delicate political issue by way of genuine political dialogue, the ongoing civil war may not be put out.

Source : http://asiancorrespondent.com/author/uzinlinn/