Tensions remain high after army harasses and detains Kachin refugees

Col. Thelt Oo, acommander of LID No. 88 and his troops detained 14 Kachin refugees living in Lagat Yang camp in Man Win Gyi, south eastern Kachin state, northern Burma on May 3.

The situation in south eastern Kachin state remains tense after Burmese military authorities arrested 14 refugees living in the Lagat Yang camp on Saturday. The camp which was previously under Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) control was taken over last month by Burmese army troops following a series of clashes in eastern Kachin state.

All of the 14 men were released Monday afternoon by their captors from the Light Infantry Division 88. One man however was detained again less than an hour after his release, according to Naw Din, an aid worker coordinating relief efforts from the Karuna Myanmar Social Services who was quoted by the Irrawaddy on Monday.

The Kachin News Group (KNG) has learned that Man Win Gyi, a government controlled town located near to where the fighting has taken place remains under night time curfew. Likewise travel along the road between Man Win Gyi and Bhamo remains restricted by army troops. Previously the army blocked all travel on this road which delayed significantly aid groups attempt to ship relief supplies to Man Win Gyi.

More than 5,000 people have been displaced in eastern Kachin state and neighboring Shan state since fighting broke out in the area on April 10. The fighting started when government troops attacked KIO positions. The last known clashes took place in Western Shan state's Muse Township on April 30th close to Kyukok a.k.a Pangsai.

Aid workers tell KNG that as of the most recent head count conducted in the end of April there were more than 1,900 newly-displaced people now staying in Man Win Gyi and an additional 900 now who arrived in neighboring Shan state's Namhkam. An additional 2,000 people remain in China or in camps in KIO controlled territory.

It remains unclear how the recent wave of fighting which is the most serious to hit Kachin state in more than a year will affect the upcoming peace talks set to take place in the Kachin state capital Myitkyina early next week. A high level delegation from the KIO will meet with their counterparts from the Burmese government and government controlled but EU funded Myanmar Peace Center, a Rangoon based organization whose staff are strongly advocating for a national ceasefire.