Burma Army is implementing its plan to create confusion both among the rebels and populace in some townships in Shan State South and East, according to informed sources from Thai security and local sources.
A source close to the junta in Shan State East’s Mongton Township, opposite Thailand’s Chiangmai said all Burma Army units in townships of Shan State East: Monghsat, Mongton, Mongyawng, Mongpiang and Tachilek and Mongpan in the south have been conducting a program called “hunter and prey strategy” since 20 September in accordance with a directive from Naypyitaw.
According to him, soldiers are divided into two groups: one group is assigned to stay in the jungle as “sniper teams” and another as “search and destroy forces”.
All were ordered to wear ceasefire groups’ uniforms and all their weapons were also changed. “They are now holding AK and M16 guns, not their MAs anymore,” the source said.
Earlier this month, Naypyitaw had ordered all its border units to make uniforms of United Wa State Army (UWSA), National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA) and Shan State Army for Burma Army use.
“Each unit is assigned to make 100 suits (Wa, SSA and NDAA),” a Thai security official said. “The clothes were ordered from Thailand. For the insignias, the army has to copy them from the rebels.”
Units in Mongton and Mongpan are said to have been making the suits since early in the month. For instance, Infantry Battalion (IB) # 225, based in Mongton has already been making the suits since 6 September, according to local townspeople there.
A Wa source told SHAN earlier, “There could be two reasons relating to the uniforms. The junta units will disguise themselves as SSA and Wa fighters and will harass villagers to make them misunderstand and view negatively on us. The other, it is trying to instigate the Wa fighters and SSA fighters to fight each other.”
The implementation of this plan has been reported taking place in some areas in Mongton townships and in Shan State Army (SSA) ‘North’’s First Brigade and 7th Brigade controlled areas.
On 24 September at about 10-11 am, a woman called Nang Nang (not real name), 34, from Wan Mai village, Maeken village tract of Mongton Township was shot by a group of men wearing the UWSA’s 171st Military Region uniforms when she was driving her motorcycle to Nakawngmu for buying some seeds.
“She was shot when she was near Mongharng village on the way to Nakawngmu. The group rushed to her when she fell down, but fortunately a militia group’s car was coming and they ran away at once,” according to one of her relatives. “She was shot at her left arm, now she is hospitalized at a border town.”
Most people think that it could not be the handiwork of the Wa fighters because the area is not where the Wa fighters are active, a villager from Maeken said. “In addition, villagers saw a group of Burma Army soldiers from Infantry Battalion (IB)#65 ( based in Nakawngmu ) there in the morning.”
Another similar incident took place at a village, located east of Maeken, 8 km east of Mongton, according to a source from the Thai-Burma border.
Last week, a man from the said village was said to have been arrested by a Burma Army unit wearing SSA uniforms.
According to him, a group of men wearing SSA uniforms ordered the people in his village to inform them if they came across the Burma Army. “Some time later, a Burma Army truck came into the village and the guy ran to report the group,” he said. “He was arrested as a rebel sympathizer and hasn’t been heard since.”
However, there is no further information about the detainee.
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