Having agreed to joint field inspections in Tangyan Township, northern Shan State the Burma Army and the Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA) are trying to agree on the logistics of the inspections.
SSPP/SSA Troops
Both armies reached an agreement on 30 April that would allow joint inspections of camps located along the Loi Say-Loi Leng ridge. The ridge is located in the south of Tangyang Town, east of the Tangyang-Mong Hsu road and west of the Salween River.
An official based at the SSPP/SSA’s headquarters said: “We reached an agreement to hold the inspection on [May] the 12th . We are now discussing at headquarters who will lead from our side. We have learned that the Tangyang-based Tactical Operations Commander, Colonel Wai Linn Aung, will lead the Burma Army’s side. How will they carry out the inspection? If it is acceptable, it is okay for us.”
An SSPP/SSA commander stationed at the front expressed frustration at some of the army's demands.
He said: “They told us to fill in all the trenches and take down all the military camps because they don’t want to see them when they come to inspect. What should we do? We are soldiers. This issue is unacceptable. It’s an insult.”
A person close to the Burma Army’s North Eastern Command office in Lashio told the Shan Herald that the Burma Army wants to establish a new military base between the SSPP/SSA’s military base and the Burma Army's military camps. It wants to establish the military base at a higher location than the SSPP/SSA’s military base without having to engage in battles.
Last month the commander of the Burma Army North Eastern Command instructed the SSPP/SSA to clear its military camps along the Loi Say-Loi Leng ridge in Tangyang Township and gave the SSPP/SSA a 22 April deadline. The SSPP/SSA disagreed with this and when the Burma Army initially requested to hold a joint inspection of the SSPP/SSA's military camps on 27 April the SSPP/SSA did not agree.
The Burma Army has used a similar strategy in the past, requesting to hold joint inspections of SSPP/SSA positions as it made preparations on the ground to take over Tar Phar Saung Bridge in 2014 and Tar San Puu Kuu To Seik in 2015.
Although the SSPP/SSA has so far declined to sign the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA), they did sign a bilateral ceasefire with the central government during Thein Sein's time in office that officially remains in effect.
Translated by Thida Linn
Edited in English by Mark Inkey for BNI
