A KIA official in northern Shan state confirmed that the soldiers died during a 30 minutes gun battle with KIA Battalion 36 near Pangsai (also Kyukok). Their deaths came on the same day that voting took place in 45 constituencies across Burma, including just outside Rangoon where Aung San Suu Kyi appears to have won a seat in the country's military dominated parliament.

According to the KIA officer who wished to remain anonymous, the fallen soldiers were part of a combined group of some 60 army personnel who together with the pro-government Mung Baw militia attempted to advance into an area held by the KIA.

Fighting between government forces and Kachin forces has continued unabated, more than 3 months after President Thein Sein officially ordered the army to halt its offensive against the KIA in Kachin and northern Shan states.

Voting in three consistencies in Kachin state was suspended by the government last week officially due to security concerns. Opposition figures have challenged this claims citing the fact that no fighting whatsoever has taken place in one of the constituencies in Mogaung township, where popular former Kachin Independence Organization vice-chairman Dr. Tu Ja was expected to win.

Hpakant, a jade rich region in the north of the state where famous Kachin activist Bauk Ja (also spelt Bawk Ja or Bauk Gyar) was running has seen some fighting but very little recently. The third constituency Bhamao (or Manmaw) Township was the sight of heavy fighting during the beginning of the conflict last June but has also seen much less as of late.

Fighting along route of Shwe pipeline displaces more civilians
On Friday March 30 more than 100 civilians fled their homes in Mong Loi when a firefight broke out between Kachin forces and troops from the Burma Army's Infantry Battalion No. 130. Mong Loi lies close to the route of twin oil and gas pipelines that will send fuel from the Arakanese coast to China via a long stretch of KIO territory in northern Shan State.

Most of the villagers from Mong Loi fled to nearby Mandong, according to sources in the area.

Last week fighting between the same government battalion and troops from KIO Battalion 34 also occurred near Yawng Bang village.  According to local residents at least 6 Burma army soldiers were killed and more than 10 injured over a 48 hour period. No Kachin soldiers appeared to have been killed during this fighting, a villager said.

Government troops responded to the loss of their comrades by taking their frustration out on local villagers, according to the KIA. Following the heavy fighting government troops fired indiscriminately in the village and detained several villagers in a brutal and very public manner, according to an officer from KIA Battalion 34.

In neighboring Man San government troops also from Infantry Battalion 130 arrested village headman Salang La Seng and several of his fellow villagers. It appears that all of those arrested were held for questioning about KIA movements in the area, local villagers fear that those arrested have been tortured and or executed.

Over the past few months hundreds of villagers in northern Shan State have been forced to flee their homes as fighting intensifies in the region. Those who have fled have sought shelter in resistance controlled camps in Kachin State or in government controlled towns in Shan State like Kutkai, Nampaka and Muse.