While President Thein Sein government has been declaring publicly that it will not change it reform-course to backward direction, Burma Army has been constantly deploying more battalions in areas held by Kachin Independence Army, military-wing of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO). It looks like Burma Army has a plan to launch a wide-ranging war.
According to Kachinland News, Fighting has increased significantly for the past few weeks though the two sides met in Ruili for talks last month. Kachin peace delegation and Burmese government have a preliminary agreement to reduce troops in conflict areas during Ruili meeting.
But Burmese Army violated the 1994 truce and overran the KIO controlled territory which was previously agreed by both sides. KIO has time and again asked Burmese government to pull out its troops to prove seriousness and reliability for future peace meetings.
As of 26 April, heavy fighting occurred near Laiza as Kachin armed forces made an effort to block attempts by the Burma army which distributed reinforcements and supplies to strategic positions so as to menace the KIO’s Laiza HQ. Reports from the ground indicate that fighting was particularly fierce at Laja Yang, less than three miles from Laiza, Kachin News Group said.
An official in Laiza told the Kachin News Group that the Burma army is continuing efforts to reinforce all government positions within a 10 mile radius of Laiza. Burma Army’s military buildup comes into view as a footing for a final full-scale offensive.
According to KIO officials, on 26 April, mortar shells fired by Burma’s armed forces killed two children and injured two adults during skirmishing in central Kachin State. The deaths occurred at Kone Law village, located about half way between Bhamo (Manmaw) and the KIO’s Laiza headquarters, on the Bhamo-Myitkyina road.
The scenario illustrates that while Burmese government is saying rhetorical peace plan, its armed forces have been advancing to crush the KIO’s military base. It means the government has no genuine purpose to begin political negotiations though it managed to strike insubstantial peace deals with other ethnic rebel groups including KNU, SSA, NMSP and KNPP.
Heavy fighting continues close to Laiza. There was an armed conflict on April 22, between KIA’s 5th Brigade soldiers and Burmese Army’s 388th LIR in Laja Yang, just about 12 miles from Laiza. Quoting local sources Kachinland News reported that at least 2 Burmese soldiers were killed and another two wounded in this battle.
Moreover, heavy battles took place between KIA’s mobile battalion and Burmese Army’s 105th LIB and a combined force of about 400 soldiers from 383rd LIR, 386th LIR and 389th LIR near Na Hpaw, KIA’s former headquarter, on April 22. It was a long fight for about 5 hours beginning 3:25 pm.
Burmese soldiers were on their way to reinforce Na Hpaw position when they were ambushed by KIA’s mobile battalion.
Burma Army provided food rations and military equipment to its Na Hpaw frontline-base by air for no less than 7 times on April 22, referring local sources Kachinland News reported.
The government’s peacemaking team and KIO peace delegation announced a joint-statement on 10 March after peace talks for the third time at Jingcheng Hotel in Shweli, China.
The joint-statement said as follow:
(1) The two sides have satisfied the peace talks between the Union level peace-making group of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and KIO’s central delegation.
(2) The peace talks have seen progress and the two sides could build trust during the meetings.
(3) The peace talks will continue through political means.
(4) The two sides believe that military tensions would be decreased as a result of the peace talks.
(5) The two sides will continue to discuss the issues related to the outposts in conflict areas until the two sides reach an agreement and will carry on the agreement after setting dates.
However, KIO has rejected an offer to meet in Myitkyina for a fourth round of peace talks, Mizzima News said.
The KIO could not meet in Myitkyina at this time, its spokesman La Nang said, since the government has been escalating its military measures in the area. Government’s reinforced its troops around the KIO’s Laiza headquarters, and looks like to be preparing an all-out offensive on KIO outposts.
La Nang said the government recently airlifted military supplies and reinforcements to their Na Phaw outpost linking the KIO’s old headquarters in Pajau and Laiza.
A 17-year-old truce between Burmese Government and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), Burma’s second largest rebel groups, broke down on 9 June 2011 sending nearly nearly 100,000 refugees plus IDPs along the Sino-Burma border adjacent to Kachin rebels’ area due to harsh military offensives launched by Burma Army.
If the unfair war in Kachin State will not stop, majority people may not recognize the so-called democratic reform run by the quasi-civilian government of Burma.
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