The Ta’ang National Liberation Army’s (TNLA) information officer said that the group is ready to meet with the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA) at a secure location in order to defuse the situation.

Local villagers fled to Namtu Town after fighting between the TNLA and the RCSS remerged in the township on May 11. The fighting then reported spread to locations in Kyaukse township from May 13 to 14, and Namhsan township on May 15.

After several skirmishes in the area, up to 1,400 residents have been displaced, seeking temporary shelter in Namtu, according to Namtu resident Sai Kham Pan.

The Pyidaungsu Institute's managing director, U Khun Sai, said holding talks could resolve the issues between the RCSS and the TNLA.

“This issue is due to a misunderstanding. It can be resolved if the two sides can meet. They can hold a preliminary meeting. It doesn’t need to be a formal meeting. They need to informally meet more often. I believe they will get along better if they meet frequently,” he said.

The TNLA’s information officer, Tar Aik Kyaw, told S.H.A.N that the TNLA is ready to talk.

“We are ready to meet in China, in Panghsang/Pangkham [the United Wa State army’s self-administered zone] or in Mong La. Chiang Mai is also okay, but it is difficult for us to meet in Chiang Mai due to security reasons since we haven’t signed the NCA. We are ready to meet them if the venue is convenient,” he said.

Local residents are worried the fighting could spill over and effect brewing communal friction between the ethnic residents who live side-by-side.

“Things have become a little difficult in the towns and villages where the Shan and the Ta’ang live together. They started to mistrust and be suspicious of each other. The situation is stable at the moment. But there is a lack of trust,” said Naw Hein, a resident of Namkham township. “Ta’ang boys are presumed to be from the TNLA. It’s the same for the Shan people [and the RCSS]. Things may get worse in the long run.”

Fighting has intermittently broken out between the TNLA and the RCSS since November 2015. The two ethnic armed groups have clashed over 100 times in sporadic outbreaks in 2015, 2016 and now 2017.

The RCSS is one of the eight signatories of the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA), while the TNLA is not a signatory, and has joined the so-called Panghsang/Pangkham alliance led by the United Wa State Army (UWSA), which seeks to bypass the NCA in the search for peace.

Translated by Thida Linn
Edited by Laignee Barron