Since clashes broke out between Burma Army and armed groups in northern Shan State and Kachin State, almost all of the Burmese soldiers were deployed to the frontline leaving behind their wives and family members who were assigned to provide security of the rear bases, according to local sources.
The Burma Army has been since March launching military offensives on the ceasefire armed groups: Shan State Progress Party (SSPP) and Kachin Independence Army (KIA) following their rejection of Naypyitaw’s Border Guard Force (BGF) program. Thousands of Burma Army soldiers, local militia men and prisoners were regularly deployed to the frontline since the fighting began.
“There are few soldiers to provide security of the rear base. So their wives were assigned to guard the base. In some places, they [the women] were assigned to guard together with local militia units, ’said a local woman who was a friend of a solider family in Kyaukme township, State State North.
The incidents took place in bases located in Kyaukme and Mongmit townships where fighting between the SSPP/SSA and the Burma Army often breaks out. Units based in Kyaukme township are Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) # 501 and 502 and in Mongmit are LIB # 348, Infantry Battalion (IB) # 223 and IB # 276.
‘How can we protect the base even if they [the rebels] come to attack the base since we are not used to handling guns and have no military training,’ complained a housewife of the Burma Army soldier from Kyaukme base.
Some bases in Mongmit are empty during the night time because the Burma Army’s family members are afraid to stay at the base and go to stay outside the base instead, said a source from Mongmit.
‘They [the family members] often go to sleep at the monastery at night and come back to take guard duty at the base in the day time. Some go to stay at their relative’s homes,” she said.
In addition, in some bases, some soldiers including high ranking officers had committed suicide as they were certain most of them would not be returning from the frontline.
For instance, a major from LIB 348 recently committed a suicide. “Before his death, he [the major] said he did not want to die at a place where his family could not see him,” the source added.
“Therefore some family hold farewell parties for their husbands before going to the frontline. They [the family] would go along until half way to the frontline because they believed that most of them would not come back,” she said.
Soldiers from Mongmit bases were sent to war zones opposite KIA controlled areas while soldiers from Kyaukme were deployed to SSPP/SSA areas. Fighting between the Burma Army and the armed groups are still reported everyday since March, leaving hundreds of soldiers and local people dead and injured.
