A three day roadblock made with logs by Burmese troops has made travel difficult for local people in Burma’s northern Kachin State. KIA officials said the road block was a response by the Burmese Army to KIA battalion 27 ...
A three day roadblock made with logs by Burmese troops has made travel difficult for local people in Burma’s northern Kachin State.
KIA officials said the road block was a response by the Burmese Army to KIA battalion 27, which blocked the supply-line to the Burmese military base in its territories.
The key road connecting Manje (Mansi in Burmese) and Mung Hkawng was completely blocked with logs at Laika Zup Ja Village, in Mung Hkawng Pa, Manmaw (Bhamo in Burmese) District, from February 23 to 25 by Burmese troops from Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 437 commanded by Lt-Col Aung Myint Htun based in N’mawk (Momauk in Burmese), according to villagers in the area.
According to local villagers, the road block made it difficult to transport food and other commodities to Laika Zup Ja Village and other small villages between Manje and Mung Hkawng.
A villager said, “The KIA blocked the small supply trucks carrying rations to Burmese troops in the KIA’s controlled territory and then Burmese troops, led by Major Myint Hlaing Oo from the LIB No. 437 and his 30 soldiers, blocked the road with timber logs.”
“The Burmese troops made trouble for the local residents after they (Burmese troops) failed to put pressure on the local KIA battalion,” said a villager.
He added, another 30 Burmese soldiers from the same battalion led by Major Kyaw Tu Aung has remained stationed in the controlled area of KIA battalion 27 since a military clash occurred between KIA battalion 27 and Burmese troops of Mohnyin-based Infantry Battalion No. 15, in the controlled-area of KIA battalion 27, on February 7.
KIA battalion No. 27 under the command of Major Yaw Htung attacked a truckload of Burmese troops from IB No. 15 in Pungling village, Man Win Township, in Manmaw District and left eight Burmese troops injured.
Lt-Col Yin Htwe died after receiving medical treatment at Nam Hkam Public Hospital, near the Chinese border.
After that, more Burmese troops under the Northern Regional Command- LIB No. 437, based in N’mawk, LIB No. 319, based in Manje, as well as Mohnyin based- IB No. 15 and Myitkyina based IB No. 21, were deployed to areas under control of the KIA. However, they later retreated from those areas.
“There seems to be no indication of further military action but now residents have a big problem moving around,” said sources close to the KIA.
