Burma Army convoys travelling from the Kokang Area to Lashio Township were attacked twice in Theinni Township in Northern Shan State on 19 and 22 February.

When the village was attacked by gunfire a Lahu man and woman were injured according to Sai Khan Han an NGO worker in the area.

He said: “Government forces convoys were attacked near the Pankhan Narchel area about 10 miles from Theinni Town at 2:30 pm, on 19 February. Kong-Sar villagers U Ja Tae and Daw Nar Shel were injured. The next battle happened near Kon Kauk village on 22 February. Whoever it is [who attacked our village] please do not come and shoot near our village. If fighting happens near the village only the villagers get shot. I beg you not to do that.”

Both of the injured villagers were treated at Lashio Military Hospital and were offered 100,000 kyats each by the Lashio based infantry division. One officer and two privates from the Burma Army were also injured in the attack on 22 February.

Ja Hel a member of the people’s militia who was at the scene said: “The government convoy was ambushed by rebels. Since they did not know the direction the bullets were coming from they shot at anything they saw that was moving. The rebels were in one place but they [the army] were shooting in another direction, so the villagers got shot.”

The government troops were on their way to the Kokang area to fight rebels under the command of Peng Jia Sheng when they were ambushed.

The United Wa State Army (UWSA), The Shan State Progressive Party/Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA), The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and The Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) have all been involved in the fighting in the Kokang region according to what the government said at a press conference in Naypyidaw on 22 February.

Translated by Aung Myat Soe English version written by Mark Inkey for BNI