Ambushes staged by the Shan State Army (SSA) South on Burmese Army units on their opium taxing expeditions resulted in the recent military confrontation between the two, according to a border watcher in Thailand.

"Roving army patrols in Mongkeung and Laikha Townships were said to have been taxing each village Kyat 200,000 ($195)," he said, "thereby providing plenty of opportunity to the SSA to carry out their ambushes."

The Burmese Army's retaliation on January 13, on a temporary SSA base resulted in heavy casualties on the Burmese Army's side, he added.

The SSA South has been understandably quiet about its ongoing military operations in the Laikha-Mongkeung area in Southern Shan State.

"We do not want a repetition of (Lt-Col) Khun Kyaw's fate," said Lt-Col Kherh Ngeun, who is responsible for military affairs of the SSA South.

Khun Kyaw aka Than Gyaung, 43, and his small force of 50 fighters surrendered near Namkham on January 2, 2006, after a 4 month hide and seek campaign waged by the Burmese Army's Lashio-based Northeastern Command. The small contingent was totally cut out off from its forward base in Mongkeung by some 200 kms as the crow flies.

Two months later on March 4, Khun Kyaw and 28 others were sentenced to death by a Lashio court and sent to Mandalay prison. He was later moved to Tharawaddy, according to his family sources.

"It is very unlikely that the SSA South will suffer the same fate," commented a senior Burma watcher. "They are operating in their home base," he added.

Reports to which SHAN has access, suggest that the SSA has been countering the Burmese Army's offensive with hit and run guerrilla tactics.