Burma army major, 7 soldiers die in battle with KIA in Shan State

WEAPONS AND  UNIFORMS OF BURMA ARMY WHICH WERE RECENTLY CAPTURED IN KACHIN STATE BY KIA.

A major from Burma's military and seven soldiers under his command died on Monday following clashes with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) at Dung Waw in Northern Shan State, according to a Kachin resistance commander on the frontline.

The previous evening government forces fatally wounded Lance Corporal Tsin-yu La San from the KIA and a young boy who was an innocent by standard, said Lt. Zau Seng, a commander with the KIA affiliated militia known as the People's Army, also known as the Mungshawa Hpyen Hpung (MHH) in Kachin.

Over the last two days there have been repeated clashes between a Burmese military column consisting of over 200 troops in the Dung Waw area which is the traditional territory of the KIA's 4th brigade. The government troops consist of forces from Infantry Battalions No. 69, No. 123 and No. 125 who are supported by forces from two local militia groups, the Mungbaw Militia led by Du Mun and the Kutkai Militia led by T.Hkun Myat, Lt. Zau Seng told the Kachin News Group.

The territory of the KIA’s 4th Brigade in northern Shan State includes a stretch between Namtu and Muse slated to be the route for twin pipelines which will transport oil and gas from Burma’s Arakan coast to China’s Yunnan province. Fighting has been frequent along this part of the pipeline corridor.

Although representatives of both the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) and the government have met for a series of talks, most recently in China last week, there has been no end to the fighting since a 17-year ceasefire ended in June 2011.

The KIO has repeatedly called for the Burma's government to hold talks based on the 1947 Panglong Agreement. Signed by General Aung San and representatives of Burma's Kachin, Shan and Chin ethnic minority groups the Panglong agreement promised a fair amount of autonomy for Burma's ethnic nationalities, however the agreement was never fully implemented by Aung San's successors.