At Mong Fan, south of Hsop Lwe, where the Lwe tributary joins the Mekong, only about 50 Burmese troops out of the original 200 in May remain. Durng the height of the tensions, in April and May, the NDAA was forced to withdraw from all of its bases south of Hsop Lwe: Wan Kho, Pong Hiet and Mong Fan.

It however refused to budge from Hsop Lwe, considered its only outlet to Laos and the outside world.

The Burma Army has also withdrawn its estimated 300 troops in the No Man’s Land between it and NDAA outposts in Mong Lwe, Mongyang township, on 1 August.

“They arrived on July 24 to explore some minerals, according to them,” said a source close to the Mongla leadership. “They retired on Monday, saying there weren’t any metal or mineral deposits worth investing.”

The Burma Army has also been pulling out their troops from around Wanhai, Kehsi township, where they had been fighting against the Shan State Army (SSA) North, one of Mongla’s allies. Only about 400 troops remain around the SSA’s main base.

“Despite the pullout, we are still maintaining our vigilance,” an NDAA officer was quoted as saying. “Because attack usually comes only when you become careless.We also think, after Wanhai falls, the Burma Army’s next target will be us. Then the Wa will be blockaded on all sides except in the east (China).”

It is not known why the Burma Army has decided to reduce its troops around Wanhai and Mongla. SHAN reported earlier that the Tatmadaw (Burma’s armed forces) has been facing internal problems, that has sapped its morale and fighting abilities. Former Military Intelligence officer Maj Aung Lynn Htut, who now resides in the United States, also reported that soldiers from Pegu Division-based Light Infantry Division (LID) 66 and LID 77 had been staging demonstrations saying they would not follow any orders unless their families were adequately fed and taken care of.