Maran Naw Di, a soldier from the KIA’s 26th Battalion based in Mohnyin Township’s Ingdawgyi Lake, was shot and killed on June 30th when Burmese army troops attacked the Tak Lep gold mine where he was stationed.  The attack was carried out by troops from the Burmese army's 15th Infantry Battalion led by Lt-Col Kyaw Kyaw Thit, according to the KIA's Lt-Col. Nhpang Naw Bu. Lt-Col. Nhpang Naw Bu is one of the KIA representatives serving on the joint committee established in May to help resolve tensions between the Burmese army and the KIA.

During the joint committee’s latest monthly meeting in Kachin State’s capital of Myitkyina on July 5th, the Kachin State government’s minister of border affairs, Col. Than Aung, explained the incident to his KIA counterparts.  Than Aung claimed that when government forces arrived at the gold mine they were compelled for safety reasons to open fire on a group of KIA soldiers as they were leaving a restaurant, said Naw Bu.
 
Naw Bu said the government's explanation was different from the late soldier's colleagues’ account of what took place. The KIA soldiers said they were surrounded and then attacked by the Burmese army at about 9pm local time.
 
That same day, Maran Naw Di was also killed and Lt. Maji Brang Seng—who serves in the KIA's 6th Battalion in jade-rich Hpakant Township—was arrested by government troops at Mapin village near Chaung Wa on the northern side of Ingdawgyi Lake. Lt. Maji Brang Seng had a pistol in his possession when he was arrested.
 
While being interrogated by captors from the Tatmadaw, Lt. Maji Brang Seng’s right forearm was broken and he was shot in the left thigh, according to a source familiar with Lt. Maji Brang Seng’s condition.

The severely wounded KIA lieutenant was first hospitalized in nearby Hopin before being moved to Myitkyina Public Hospital, where he is receiving treatment under police custody.

Earlier on June 28th, Hpukjang Ze Lum, a KIA administrative officer from the Kap Maw Zup area, was arrested carrying a pistol on Hpakant Road between Nam Ya and Kap Maw Zup.  He was detained by troops from the Burmese army’s 110th Light Infantry Battalion (LIB), a unit that works closely with the 66th LIB, a KIA 6th Battalion officer told Kachin News Group.  Ze Lum was brought to Hpakant soon after his arrest, where he still remains in detention.

KIA Urges Burmese Army to Handover Captives
 
During their monthly joint committee meeting in Myitkyina on July 5th the KIA officially called on the Burmese army to handover the two KIA officers recently detained by government forces, KIA Lt-Col. Naw Bu told KNG.
 
The KIA also promised that it will take action against the two officers if they violated any government laws, Naw Bu said. However, the Burmese army has yet to hand over the KIA captives, Naw Bu told KNG.
 
The military-backed civilian government led by ex-general President Thein Sein signed a seven-step agreement with the KIA's political-wing, the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), in May 2012.  After concluding this agreement—which fell short of a full ceasefire—there was less fighting in Kachin and northern Shan States. But some clashes continue to take place in the Manwing area of southern Kachin State and parts of neighboring northern Shan State.
 
The military appears to be involved in a major troop buildup in the Hpakant jade mining area.  Large numbers of troops and heavy artillery were sent to Hpakant in late June, according to local residents.

During the latest joint committee meeting in Myitkyina on July 5th, Col. Than Aung from the government side denied sending troops and artillery to the area, said KIA Lt-Col. Naw Bu.