The Burmese Army in Kachin state detained eight soldiers of the Kachin Independent Army (KIA) in the midst of mounting tension as chances of a confrontation with the ruling junta mounts, said sources close to the ethnic armed group.
The eight KIA soldiers include a Lieutenant from the KIA camps in the frontlines in Daw Hpum Yang under the KIA’s 3rd Brigade and Ngapyawtaw village near Sinbo town between Myitkyina and Bhamo city in Kachin State, said the sources.
A villager close to the KIA told Kachin News Group today, “Five KIA soldiers including a Lieutenant were detained in Daw Hpum Yang three days ago and three soldiers were rounded up in Nyapyawtaw yesterday”.
The Kachin Independent Organization (KIO) the political wing of the KIA, the Kachin ethnic armed group in Northern Burma is under immense pressure from the junta to transform into the Border Guard Force (BGF). Despite 12 meetings since April last year, the issue is yet to be resolved leading to tension mounting.
“No one knows where they (Burmese troops) are detaining them now,” said the source.
There is no detailed information as to the name of the soldiers and why they were arrested.
During the 17 year-ceasefire period since 1994 several KIA soldiers have been secretly arrested and killed by the Burmese Army.
On November 22, 2007, Daw Hpum Yang based military junta’s officers from Infantry Battalion No. 142, officials of the military intelligence (Military Affairs Security Unit (Sa-Ya-Pha), officials of the Daw Hpum Yang Administrative Office (Ma-Ya-Ka) and Immigration officials arrested eight KIO/A soldiers and servicemen with their weapons from the same village. Later they dramatically escaped from the detention center.
In 2006, January five KIO/A soldiers in the group’s liaison office in Nam Ngu village, Muse Township in Northern Shan State were killed by Burmese troops and nine soldiers were killed in 22 March 2001, at Sisa Pa village at Shan State.
Fresh Burmese troops are being deployed near KIA’s military camp and its headquarters in Laiza on the Sino-Burma border after tension started brewing earlier this year.
KIA soldiers in the frontline in Kachin State, northern Burma.
The Light Infantry Battalion No. 521 and No. 74 from Myitkyina- Mandalay railway road was deployed with 730 soldiers and heavy weaponry like artillery and mortars in Pajau-Nahpaw Bum the former KIO/A headquarter close to Laiza last month and Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) No. 321 was deployed near the KIO/A headquarters in Laiza at Dalaw village with at least 200 soldiers earlier this month.
“Recently KIA headquarters ordered the officer from Dalaw village to leave the place,” said the villager.
The arrest of KIA members indicates junta is provoking a clash, said the locals.
KIO wants the junta to consider the 1947 Panglong Agreement signed by ethnic leaders and General Aung San, independence hero of Burma but the junta continues to urge the armed group to change its army to BGF under its control.
