The Burmese army is waging war against ethnic insurgent groups on the western Burmese border using a "four cuts" strategy after the War Office in Naypyidaw recently ordered offensives launched against insurgent groups throughout Burma.

The operation launched on 28 February against the Arakan Liberation Army, or ALA, an armed insurgent group in western Burma that opposes the Burmese military government.

Joint Secretary 2 Khaing Thu Kha, a spokesperson for the ALA, said, "The Burma army has been conducting an operation on the Indo-Burma border with the four cuts strategy since 28 February. There are four battalions from the Burmese army involved in the operation. But the operation has been unsuccessful due to many problems here."

The operation has been conducted by four army battalions - Light Battalions 34, 232, and 289, and Light Infantry Battalion 580 - in order to wipe out insurgent groups on the western Burmese border.

"There have been no problems for us despite the Burmese army conducting the operation using the four cuts strategy against us because there are many deep forests and high mountains along the border. We are easily able to avoid their offensive. We have still been connected with the public in rural areas during the operation," he added.

With the operation on the western Burmese border, armed clashes between the ALA and Burmese army have taken place three times, resulting in three Burmese soldiers killed and two seriously injured.

"The first armed clash took place at Ngwe Lat Wa Village near the Indian border on 8 March. Our troops killed three Burmese soldiers and injured two soldiers. On that day, we fought the Burmese army in three small battles," Mr. Thu Kha said.

According to a local source, many villagers on the border have fled the area of the operation because the Burmese army has been using them as porters. The Burmese army sent many reinforcements to the border area through northern Buthidaung Township near Bangladesh. The army is likely to attack ALA forces through Bangladesh territory, said many sources on the border.

The Burmese army's "four cuts" policy was adopted to wipe out insurgent groups around Burma in the 1970's during the former regime of the Burmese Socialist Programme Party. The four cuts strategy is intended to cut off access to food, funds, information, and recruitment, often with devastating consequences.