[ Mizzima ] Escalation of inter-ethnic conflict in the midst of Myanmar’s Spring Revolution

Source: https://www.mizzima.com/article/escalation-inter-ethnic-conflict-midst-myanmars-spring-revolution

The EAOs are divided into United Wa State Army (UWSA)-led and the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement-Signatory-EAOs (NCA-S-EAOs) groups. The former is politically under the alliance of Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee (FPNCC), while the latter is represented by the Peace Process Steering Team (PPST) in deliberations and bargaining for political settlement with the government.

The political alliance FPNCC is made up of United Wa State Army (UWSA), National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA), Shan State Progressive Party (SSPP), Kachin Independence Army (KIA), Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and Arakan Army (AA).

The ten ethnic armed organizations signatory to the NCA are the Karen National Union (KNU), Chin National Front (CNF), All Burma Students Democratic Front (ABSDF), Karen National Liberation Army-Peace Council (KNLA/PC), Pa-O National Liberation Organization (PNLO), Arakan Liberation Party (ALP), Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA), New Mon State Party (NMSP) and the Lahu Democratic Union (LDU).

The FPNCC members have two separate military alliances. One is the National Alliance-Burma (NA-B), which includes the KIA, AA, MNDAA or Kokang and TNLA. The second is called the Three Brotherhood Alliance, made up of the AA, MNDAA and TNLA, without the KIA.

The SSPP being in the FPNCC camp is under the sway of the UWSA which in turn is under the influence of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and thus is considered a reliable ally. In the past during the era of the Communist Party of Burma (CPB) until thend of 1980s, the pro-CPB SSPP faction headed by the late legendary Sao Sam Mong went to China and even received a huge cache of arms during that time.

The RCSS based along Thai border in the south of Shan State is considered pro-West as it is dependent on Thailand for a lot of basic necessities to maintain its troops.

In short, it could be said the SSPP and RCSS are ideologically opposite to each other. In the past, it was differentiated and categorized as people’s democracy versus national democracy.

To get an insight into the stand-off in northern Shan State, it is important to look at recent history.

Following the signing of Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) on October 15, 2015 in November some hundreds of the RCSS troops moved up north and armed clashes erupted in November the same year in Namkham area with the TNLA. And since then the two parties have been on a war-footing and clashing on-and-off all these years.

The two Shan armies’ animosity started as the SSPP in July 2018 joined the TNLA in its war against the RCSS in Hsipaw Township.

Subsequently, the armed confrontation took a new turn as the SSPP-TNLA combined forces openly with a declaration to evict the RCSS from northern Shan State and then launched offensives, claiming that it is not its territory and should go back to its original south stomping ground.

Thus, the inter-EAO conflict has played out not only between the TNLA and RCSS but also between the two Shan armies of SSA South or RCSS and SSA North or SSPP.

The RCSS has reinforced its troops several time counting in the thousands after 2015 and possibly also recruited locally in northern Shan State among the Shan population.

The SSPP and TNLA accused the RCSS of intruding into their areas, while the latter said that it has been there since 2005 and besides it has all the right to operate in all areas of Shan State as a Shan army.

The contested or disputed areas are Namtu, Hsipaw, Kyaukme, Namkham in northern Shan State, and Kehsi and Mong Kung in central Shan State.

Aside from the normal armed clashes in northern Shan State that usually occurred the RCSS lately has been losing ground in the Namkham area close to the China border, according to Shan sources.

Most recently, on July 1, the SSPP/TNLA combined force delivered heavy firefights in Kyaukme Township of Tow San village-tract which have been going on for some days. Casualties are still unknown, although the displaced persons are said to number a thousand if not more, according to a Shan News report.

But the one that stands out is the fierce armed engagement in Kehsi Township along Loi Hun mountain range which has flared up in June and been going on for a month now deploying thousands of troops on both sides.

According to Shan News, the two Shan armies said that they won’t withdraw from Loi Hun mountain range by any means.

Starting from June 1, the two armies have been reinforcing their troops in the hundreds, according to their spokesmen.

News is making the rounds that some 2,000 fully armed UWSA troops with 107 military trucks have been reinforcing the SSPP. But the UWSA and as well the SSPP denied this. However, locals said that they can differentiate the Wa from the Shan and that the Wa soldiers are definitely there alongside the SSPP troops. In addition, locals said Palaung-speaking soldiers wearing SSPP uniforms were also said to be seen.

The dispute stemmed from the RCSS taking over of the mountain range when the SSPP was busy resisting the Tatmadaw offensives in Kehsi and Mong Hsu areas in 2017. According to SSPP the RCSS established its administrative apparatus in villages on the mountain range and it has to retaliate, said its spokesman Major Sai Hpong Han.

He said that Loi Hun is only about 10 miles away from Wanhai and within the reach of artillery fire and that SSPP has to consider its security. In contrast the RCSS headquarters is 200 miles away, he added.