The United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) and Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA) had a meeting on 1June in Chiang Mai, Thailand, to discuss ongoing fighting between the SSA and Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) in northern Shan State.
RCSS/SSA spokesman Col. Sai La told Mizzima that RCSS/SSA Chairman Lt. Gen. Yawd Serk and UNFC Chairman Gen. N’Ban La met for an hour.
“Infighting between ethnic nationalities is not good. So we asked them [UNFC] to find a peaceful solution to end this fighting. The UNFC Chairman accepted our demand and his attitude is the same as our Chairman,” he said.
Col. Sai La told Mizzima, “They (UNFC) told us that they would help as much as they can.”
RCSS/SSA proposed a meeting with the TNLA in April in Chiang Mai to negotiate an end to the conflict. The TNLA said that they would send their reply by the end of April but no reply was received and fresh fighting erupted again on 1 May.
Apparently, the two sides could not agree on the venue of the meeting with the RCSS/SSA preferring Chiang Mai, and the TNLA preferring a place on the Sino-Myanmar border.
Recently, the two armies fought fiercely in Mengmo in northern Shan State on 31 May and fighting was reportedly still raging on 1 June.
