More fighting between KIO and army in Shan state

The KIA's Battalion 36 forces based in Pangsai (Kyukok) area in Northern Shan state.

Friday morning saw more clashes between forces loyal to the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) and the army break out in northern Shan state, according to a KIO official based in the area.

The latest clashes took place near Mongkoe, in an area controlled by the Kachin Independence Army's (KIA) Battalion 38, which is under the group's fourth brigade.  It is unclear if there were any casualties as a result of the fighting which according to the KIO official took place because of the aggressive actions of Burma military units.  It remains unknown what unit the Burma military forces were from.

Fighting also took place in Shan state earlier this week between Kachin forces and the military further to the west of where took place on Friday.  On Monday June 10th fighting took place near Hpai Kawng village in the Pangsai (Kyukok) region. This fighting involved Section 5 of the KIO's local civilian militia force known as the Mungshawa Hpyen Hpung (MHH) and government forces from Infantry Battalion 125.

One Monday the government side was also supported by troops from the Kutkai based militia group headed by Hkun Myat, a member of parliament from the ruling USDP.  Khun Myant and his militia are alleged to be heavily involved in Shan state's booming drug trade.  According to a KIO official who took part in the battle the bodies of two Burmese soldiers were found after the fighting ended.

Fighting also took place on the evening of Sunday May 9 near Hka Lum village which is also located in the Pangsai (Kyukok) area. This fighting involved the same MHH unit from the KIO and an unknown Burma army unit. This fighting was more brief than the clash that took place on Monday.

On the evening of Saturday June 8, a brief fire fight also took place for about 20 minutes at Hka Lum village in Pangsai again between KIO civilian militia forces and an unknown unit from the Burma army.

Friday's clashes occurred less than two weeks after the KIO and the government's chief negotiators met in the Kachin state capital Myitkyina for talks which produced a vague 7 point agreement.  The agreement which called for both sides to reduce military tensions and form a joint troop movement monitoring mechanism was hailed as a "breakthrough" by the International Crisis Group (ICG), a Brussels based think tank which earlier this year gave President Thein Sein a "peace prize".

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