Shan resistance leader: Junta up to no good

Referring to Naypyitaw’s latest instruction to its border units to make Shan State Army and United Wa State Army uniforms recently, the leader of the anti-Naypyitaw Shan State Army (SSA) ‘South’ Lt-Gen Yawdserk said the military junta is now playing a dangerous game in order to break ceasefire groups into pieces.

Lt-Gen Yawdserk

According to sources from both Shan and Thai security, Naypyitaw had, earlier this month, reportedly ordered its units based along Thai-Burma border to make UWSA and SSA uniforms for Burma Army use.

One of them, Infantry Battalion (IB) # 225, based in Shan State East’s Mongton Township, opposite Thailand’s Chiangmai, has already been making the suits since 6 September. The base was assigned to make 100 uniforms (50 Wa and 50 SSA), according to a source close to the junta in Mongton. “The order said no one must leak out about this directive, but who can shut the people’s mouths forever?,” he said.

A Wa source said, “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.”

In addition, the Thai security based along the Thai-Burma border confirmed that the uniforms are already being used in some areas in the West of Salween River.

Yawd Serk said his headquarters also received the same information from Shan State South. “Villagers said Burma Army soldiers wearing SSA uniforms ordered them to provide rice and money. Villagers who went to give supplies were then arrested by the Burma Army that accused them of supporting the SSA.”

Similar incidents were said to have taken place a few years ago in Shan State South, according to a border watcher based on the Thai-Burma border. “The Burma Army soldiers disguised as SSA fighters asked money from the teak loggers and shot them to death afterwards,” he said.

The junta military, at the same time, has been deploying more troops to ceasefire groups controlled areas since the 1 September deadline to disarm themselves had passed. Shan State North’s Tangyan township alone is likely to have more than 20 Burma Army battalions, sources from the Sino-Burma border said.

On 12 September, a day after Senior General Than Shwe returned from China, the military junta deployed one tactical command (3 battalions) from Kyaukme based Military Operations Command (MOC)#1 to its strongest base Loi Panglong, facing the UWSA. In addition, it is also reportedly planning to deploy one more infantry division.

Loi Panglong base is high, overlooking the UWSA’s bases, a source said. “If the Burma Army launches the offensive from that base, Panghsang (the Wa capital) could be isolated from its northern forces.”

The Wa force facing Loi Panglong is the 418th brigade and one heavy weapons unit.

Nevertheless, an officer from Joint Alliance Command which was formed in April said junta’s recent deployment is just for preparatory stage as all the battalions have long been stationed in from Shan State, not fresh units from outside it.

In April, ceasefire groups: the United Wa State Army (UWSA) and Shan State Army (SSA) ‘North’, National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA) and Kachin Independence Army (KIA), those refused to transform themselves into Napyitaw run border guard forces (BGFs), reached agreement to form a Joint Command, Control and Communications Centre for their joint defense against the junta’s BGF program.

Latest reports say a clash took place between the SSA North and the Burma Army in Hsipaw township yesterday evening. “One wounded on our side,” confirmed an SSA source. “No information on the Burma Army casualties.”

It is too early to say whether the clash will bloom into a full-scale offensive. “At present, the Burma Army seems to be focusing on the elections more than shooting us,” said a Shan officer.

Source:http://shanland.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3203:shan-resistance-leader-junta-up-to-no-good&catid=85:politics&Itemid=266