There was heavy fighting between Burma Army and Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) troops on Monday morning at Laika Zup Ja Village, two miles from Mai Hkawng Village in Mansi Township, Eastern Kachin State.
This area, which is close to Kachin state's border with China as well as the boundary line with Shan State, has seen heavy fighting on numerous occasions since the Kachin ceasefire ended in June 2011.
The latest clashes have resulted in more than 140 civilians living between Mai Hkawng and Nam Lim Pa being forced to flee over the past 24 hours. This is a particularly difficult time for villagers to flee, most of whom are small scale farmers, as in late September they are busy tending to their rice and other crops.
Clashes continue as NCA deadline nears
The latest round of fighting takes place just days after senior leaders from the KIO, including the group's vice chair N'ban La, met with President Thein Sein on 9 September in Naypyidaw for discussions relating to the ongoing peace process. Thein Sein's government is pushing for the KIO and the other groups to sign a National Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) before the upcoming November elections.
Thein Sein appears keen to capitalize on the NCA in order to elevate his standing amongst both Burma's electorate and the international community at large. A goal that has received a boost from UN Special Envoy Vijay Nambiar who has been strongly advocating for the armed groups to sign. Nambiar, a former Indian diplomat who also served as a UN envoy in a similar role in Sri Lanka during the final months of that country's lengthy civil war, appears to have alienated many of Burma's ethnic armed groups with his not so subtle advice that they sign the ceasefire.
The army appears to want to gain as much territory as possible in anticipation of what is expected to be at least an official end to hostilities. In addition to the Mansi Township clashes fighting has also taken place between the KIO and the army further north in Sumprabum Township and in Shan State. The army has also recently clashed with the Shan State Army South (SSA) in eastern Shan State, despite this group's leadership having already promised to sign the ceasefire.
It remains unclear at this point if the KIO will sign the NCA. Much of the Kachin public remains very sceptical of this effort having experienced the KIO's previous 1994 to 2011 ceasefire with the central government.
Edited in English by Mark Inkey for BNI
