Tatmadaw, Northern Alliance Continue to Clash in 2017

Myanmar Times | January 5, 2017

Fighting has occurred in the north of the country every day since the New Year, with clashes occurring in half a dozen locations, including an attack on an army convoy and the use of artillery and aircraft. Both the leader of the armed forces, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and the ethnic armed group concerned, the Northern Alliance-Burma took to social media to present their accounts of the fighting.

Clashes were reported in Namhsan, Kutkai, Namtu, Kyaukme, Theinni and Muse townships.

On January 3, the Kachin Independence Army attacked a military column deploying for action on the Muse-Lashio highway, near Nant On village, Muse township, according to a Tatmadaw statement released yesterday.

The Northern Alliance-Burma (NA-B) posted on their Facebook page an account of an attack on a 20-truck military convoy from Thein Ni township, in the vicinity of Jan Laung and Nar Saw villages, at 2am, and a subsequent attack at 7am on the same convoy at Kutkai. Fighting was also reported at Nant On village, Muse township.

A negotiator for the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army splinter group, Ko Kyaw Kyaw, said about 20 soldiers led by Colonel Saw San Aung had joined the NA-B in its attacks on the Tatmadaw. But six soldiers led by Commander Win Zaw Oo surrendered to the Tatmadaw battalion in Myawady township, Kayin State, according to a Ministry of Defence news release on January 1.

Ko Kyaw Kyaw said Commander Win Zaw Oo had surrendered because he disagreed with the decision to join the Northern Alliance-Burma, and wanted to join the Border Guard Force in Kayin State.

In his New Year message, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said, “The Tatmadaw has been making utmost efforts to restore peace and stability with the sacrifice of lives, blood and sweat, as some areas of Kachin State, northeast Shan State and northern Rakhine State faced a deterioration of peace and stability and attacks on life and property by armed ethnic insurgent groups.”

The Northern Alliance-Burma, which was founded on November 20, attacked Tatmadaw units at Muse, Kutkai and Namkham in what they called a response to Tatmadaw offensives with non-stop artillery shelling and aerial attacks by bombers, fighters and helicopters. The NA-B issued a statement on December 21 calling for “genuine and equal political dialogue” and recognising that their struggle for political rights could not be solved by military means alone.

The Myanmar Peace Center has been trying to intervene by proposing an informal dialogue. NA-B spokesperson Mong Aik Kyaw told The Myanmar Times they had agreed to meet an MPC delegation led by U Hla Maung Shwe.

U Hla Maung Shwe said, “Government policy has not changed. All parties concerned in the peace dialogue will meet informally soon, and will hold a formal meeting before the resumption of the 21st-Century Panglong conference, but the dates have not yet been set.”