A one-hour shootout took place in Shan State South, when Burma Army troops attacked a small outpost of the Shan State Army (SSA) North on the Nampang, a tributary of the Salween, on Wednesday, 21 March, according to an SSA source.
“They retreated with casualties (we don’t know how many),” said the SSA officer. “The outpost was reinforced afterward.”
The clash marked the 4th time the Burma Army had breached the ceasefire agreement since it was signed on 28 January, between Naypyitaw and Wanhai, headquarters of the Shan State Progress Party / Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA), as the SSA North is officially known. The earlier encounters had taken place in Lashio and Namtu townships.
Its sister group, SSA South, is officially known as Restoration Council of Shan State/ Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA). It has also charged the Burma Army of violating the truce, signed 2 December 2011, altogether 14 times.
The latest clash with the SSA North took place after the 10 men SSA outpost at Ta Hsarmpu refused to move out without an order from its own command, as demanded by the 30-40 strong Burma Army patrol.
Khu Oo Reh, General Secretary of the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP), the latest armed movement to sign the ceasefire agreement, on 7 March, said one of the topics the KNPP delegation with discuss with Naypyitaw next month is to prevent similar clashes between its forces and the Burma Army.
“The ceasefire breaches will happen again, it the Burma Army is allowed to take advantage of the ceasefire agreement to continue its human rights abuses and military buildup inside territories under our control,” he said. “We don’t want to be like the SSA and the KNU (Karen National Union), both of whom are still being forced to fight despite the ceasefire agreement. We don’t want to repeat what happened in 1995.”
The ceasefire between the KNPP and the Burma Army in 1995 collapsed 3 months after it was signed.. The KNPP said the Burma Army had taken advantage of the truce to build up bases inside the KNPP controlled areas.
Meanwhile, more people are fleeing the Pongwoe and Kunhen tracts of Kyaukme township, after the Burma Army began recruiting and training villagers as a People’s Militia Force (PMF). The SSA and the Burma Army’s Infantry Battalion 23 have also fought 3 times in the area, after an SSA officer and his wife were shot to death by armed men believed to be from IB 23 on 17 February.
