U Kyi San, administrator for the township in Rakhine State, that has been the location of recent cross border clashes, told Mizzima on June 1 that border officials from both territories will meet at Daywarnadi Hall in Maungdaw.

"Officials from both sides of the border normally meet twice a year. On this occasion I expect us to focus on the recent incidents,” said U Kyi San, “as far as I am aware, only local leaders will attend the meeting.”

U Kyi San was referring to clashes on May 28 and May 30 that have produced differing explanations from either side of the border.

On May 31, Myanmar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a press release concerning the recent incidents.
It read "On 28 May 2014, around 9am, Myanmar troops opened fire on two suspected armed Bengalis in yellow camouflage uniform who had entered into Myanmar territory… an exchange of fire between the two sides followed.”

It added that one of the individuals was shot dead and the other fled back across the border. It denied claims made by the Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry that a Bangladesh Guard Border team was at the time  of the incident patrolling the border nearby to the alleged location and added that they had confirmed that the dead man was not wearing the uniform of the BGB.

Referring to the incident on May 30, Myanmar’s statement admitted there had been an exchange of fire at 4pm that had lasted about 20 minutes.

Referring to that incident in their own statement released on May 30, the Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry said "The Myanmar Ambassador was told that a BGB team was waiting near border pillar no. 52 for identification of the dead body which was proposed by the Myanmar side. However, to the complete surprise of the BGB, Myanmar border forces suddenly started firing on the waiting BGB team without any provocation."

The Myanmar statement disagreed with this version of events, saying the suggestion that the “Myanmar side started to fire was far from the reality,” and added, “The facts stated in these two diplomatic notes from the Bangladesh side are far from the real situation on the ground.”

However, the Myanmar Foreign Ministry statement did not reveal their own opinion of the sequence of the events of May 30.

Local businessmen in Maungdaw, along the Myanmar-Bangladeshi border in Rakhine State have spoken about their fears that the situation may affect cross border trade.

U Aung Myint Thein, chairman of the Maung Daw Trade Association said “cross-border trade has continued but we fear that if tensions increase, it may affect business.”