The military junta’s deployment to ethnic states is still going on, particularly in the areas of groups opposed to the Border Guard Force program: Shan State Army (SSA) and Kachin Independence Army (KIA)’s controlled territories despite its ongoing parliamentary sessions.

The latest reinforcement of the Burma Army was reportedly seen two days ago in Shan State South’s Laikha Township heading on the way to SSA’s First Brigade controlled territory which is located between Shan State South and Shan State North, according to local sources.

“There were over 30 military trucks carrying armed soldiers and going through Laikha town to Wanhai, SSA’s Headquarters,” an eye witness said.

At present, the strength of the Burma Army troops moving around the SSA’s HQ and its boundary is approximately between 800 and 1,000 plus 16 armored personnel carriers, according to SSA.

As the Burma Army keeps reinforcing, the SSA is also placing its troops on a standby basis. Nevertheless, the group will never stick to a static defensive. It is instead to be on a mobile defensive, said SSA’s spokesperson Major Khurh Mao.

“We abhor solving problem by violent ways as we are not terrorists. In fact, problems should be solved by political means. If it cannot be solved the way we want, then the only way is to fight. However, we will never engage in static defensive as the strength of the Burma Army troops and ours is unbalanced,” he said.

Besides the deployment, the military junta is also closing all the motor routes that pass through SSA controlled areas. All cargo vehicles and public buses were stopped running for a week resulting in the increase of transport fees and prices of some commodities mainly rice, according to a local villager in Monghsu.

“We still need to wait for two or three days to get a bus even though we have money. The car drivers do not want to accept us as it is too risky. The situation in the area is like a war zone,” she said.

Like Shan State, the Burma Army has also deployed over 10 armored and 5 military trucks to Waingmaw and Sadong, east of KIA HQ Laiza last week. Currently, the strength of the Burma Army troops near KIA’s areas is also about 1,000.  

KIA spokesman Col James Lum Dau said the move is a psychological warfare which is to pressure anti-BGF groups to kneel down and accept the military junta’s terms.

“A major offensive is unlikely. However, the generals may decide to wipe out our groups after the parliamentary sessions are over,” he said.

Earlier in the month, the Burma Army and the KIA had fought for the first time in 18 years of ceasefire period.

Many observers commented that the Burma Army reinforcement is likely to be related to the recent formation of UNFC (United Nationalities Federal Council), an alliance of 12 ethnic armed ceasefire and non-ceasefire groups.