Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA) spokesman Col. Sai Om Kay said that they had been fighting with the Tatmadaw (Myanmar Army) on Loi Tuan Mountain, Mong Kong Township, southern Shan State on February 27 in the morning and the fighting between them was still raging until today.
The fighting started with artillery fire on February 27 at about 8 a.m. and the fighting is reportedly still raging fiercely until the afternoon of February 28.
“The fighting was almost all day yesterday and now Tatmadaw is still firing intermittent fire of heavy weapons,” spokesman Col. Sai Om Kay said, referring to Thursday.
The RCSS/SSA said that four battalions with approximate strength of 400 personnel had an engagement with RCSS troops in Loi Tuan pass in Mong Kong Township, southern Shan State and it was started by firing heavy weapons and the fighting was fierce.
Shan State legislative Assembly legislator from Mong Kong constituency (1) Sai Pan said that they heard the firing of heavy weapons and they had to watch and monitor the fighting between these two armies.
“They fought yesterday and today. We could hear weapons firing until this afternoon. We cannot get accurate information on this battle as they fought in the jungle but nearby villages said that they heard heavy weapons fire,” he said.
Political analyst Than Soe Naing said that the fighting between them appeared because of lack of trust building between them and having suspicion against each other though they had territory demarcation between them.
“Fighting appeared as there are suspicion and lack of trust building between them. And I think the fighting developed since both sides violated the military territory of each other though they are accurately demarcated and also because Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC) cannot work properly on mutual violation of code of conduct,” he said.
Col. Yord Serk is currently serving as provisional leader of Peace Process Steering Team (PPST) and he is leading in discussions on convening the fourth session of 21st Century Panglong Conference at forum of Joint Implementation Coordination Meeting (JICM) for implementing the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA).
Political analyst Than Soe Naing said that fighting with NCA signatory EAO (Ethnic Armed Organizations) which currently chair PPST would make hurdles in the peace process.
“The fighting will make drastic trust deficit for peace. This is tragic situation for peace because the Chairman of RCSS is currently chair the peace working team PPST which is constituted of NCA signatories EAOs. So fighting between Tatmadaw and an EAO which is the chairman of the PPST will make serious troubles and hurdles to the peace process,” Than Soe Naing said.
RCSS spokesman Col. Sai Om Kay said: “We cannot yet say this fighting will cause ta rust deficit on peace but it may cause suspicion and we will not be able to build peace almost immediately.
Mizzima contacted Tatmadaw True News Information Team to ascertain more facts on this fighting but to no avail as they did not answer the phone.
RCSS/SSA is an ethnic Shan EAO and it signed the NCA on October 15, 2015 and it is implementing the peace process by joining hands with government, Tatmadaw and other EAOs. RCSS/SSA has its HQ in Loi Tai Leng on the Thai-Myanmar border and they are operating in north, south and east of Shan State.
