PSLF Statement on Myanmar Tatmadaw’s MT’s Massive Strength Expansion and Offensive in Ta’ang Region

Palaung State Liberation Front (PSLF) | March 1, 2016

As the Myanmar Tatmadaw’s (MT) massive force expansion and stepping up of offensive in Kyauk-me, Namh-San, Man-tong, Nam -tu, Nam-kham, Kut-kai etc. areas of Ta’ang Region are an attempt, thwarting and wrecking of peace in Myanmar/Burma, we, the Palaung State Liberation Front (PSLF/TNLA) condemn it.

With a view to gaining genuine peace in Myanmar, the PSLF/TNLA had issued several statements, well before 2015 election, regarding its position of reducing armed clashes in Ta’ang Region, as much as possible, while sending instructions to all TNLA units at different levels in the field, to avoid clashes, apart from fighting in self-defense.

However, Myanmar Tatmadaw (Myanmar Army) let the Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA), which has signed the NCA, to enter into our operational areas and set up base, to create brutal armed clashes between fellow ethnic nationalities, by supporting and inciting RCSS/SSA in several ways. As a result, there have been violent battles in Ta’ang Region between RCSS/SSA allied with MT, and our TNLA troops, causing the local populations to suffer the violence of war. Since the past few days, war weapons are being transported continually from Burma Proper to Northern Shan State on draft horses and over 500 fully loaded trucks with war materials. From the beginning of 2015, Myanmar Tatmadaw has been conducting offensive operations by deploying, in addition to Military Operation Commands (MOC) 1, 16 and units under the North-East Command, the 11th, 33rd, 66th, 77th, 88th and 99th combat divisions, in the Ta’ang Region, Kokang Region and the KIA Brigades 4 and 6 Regions, and now it is increasing its military might constantly by sending in Div-55, 101 and MOC 2, 7 and 10.

At a time when power has to be transferred to the NLD party, which the people have confidently elected in 2005 election, the Myanmar military leaders are stoking the fire of civil war. We would like to alert and urge the political parties and the entire people to face consciously and collectively the Myanmar military leaders’ activities to make the war more violent and to deny stability and peace within the Myanmar society, by various means.

With this statement we announce the position of the PSLF/TNLA that on our part, we are prepared to hold dialogue and find resolutions on matters relating to peace with the civilian government, which is coming into being in the near future, and avoid the Myanmar Tatmadaw’s military offensives, as much as possible.

Central Executive Committee

Palaung State Liberation Front –PSLF/TNLA