Burma Army attacked Kachin Independence Organization/Army (KIO/A) in northern Shan State this Saturday, during a second offensive against the ethnic armed organization (EAO) since staging a coup about twenty days earlier.

According to KIO/A spokesperson Col Naw Bu, fighting carried over to February 21, the same day a shell reportedly killed a man near the village of Dima Dannai, Muse District.

 

Two Burma Army LID-99 columns attacked KIO/A Battalion 9, Brigade 6. In the evening, reinforcements arrived in six military vehicles to eastern Muse Township, where the fighting is happening.

 

On February 10, Tatmadaw troops—as the Burma Army are locally called—were forced to retreat after suffering many causalities during a ground offensive, according to Col Naw Bu.

 

Perhaps to avoid repeating this scenario on the weekend, it attacked KIO/A with mortar and artillery fire before sending reinforcements.

 

Since the military took over, the country has become unstable and it's hurting the peace process, Col Naw Bu said. “At the same time people are protesting against the military regime in every town in Burma, offensives have been launched (against EAOs) in the jungle.”

 

While fighting has been reported in some of the ethnic areas, Kachin State, where the KIO/A maintains its headquarters, has been spared.

 

Col Naw Bu said: “We're closely watching the situation. It's really difficult to predict their objective for launching military offensives (against us)."

 

KIO/A is a member of Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee, which also includes Shan State Progress Party, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, Arakan Army, Ta'ang National Liberation Army, United Wa State Party/Army and National Democratic Alliance Army.

 

None of the EOAs have joined the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement but some have signed a bilateral ceasefire under the previous government.