Five Burmese Army soldiers and policemen were said to have been killed in a clash with the Shan State Army (SSA-South) on May 21, the 51st anniversary of the Shan Resistance Day.

SSA troops attacked a joint army-police road sentry box at the 21 milestone between Laikha and Panglong, southern Shan State at dawn yesterday.

The sentry box was  being defended by eight men (five from the Burmese Army Infantry Battalion IB No. 64 commanded by Company Sergeant Major Tin Ohn and three commanded by Police Corporal Aye Min Tun).

Five of the defenders, including the three policemen, were killed and their weapons taken by the attackers, according to border sources.

SHAN has been unable to reach the SSA-South for confirmation.
Loi Taileng, the SSA’s main base, is believed to be still celebrating the
Resistance Day.

There are three SSA brigades reportedly active in the area. These are the 759th Brigade under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Kham Leng, Brigade No.198 under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Hsang Wi and the Awng Pay Hseuk Force, under the command of Lt-Col Pawng Kherh.

Shan’s resistance was launched by Sao Noi aka Saw Yanda, a 31-year old transplanted Shan from Mongwan (Longchuan), Yunnan province, and his 30-followers in 1958, six years after Shan State was occupied by the Burmese Army ostensibly to defend the Union’s territorial integrity against Kuomintang incursion.