21: Junta officer: No offensive on Shan base yet

Reporter: Crusader

 
As the number of clashes between the Shan State Army (SSA) South and the Burma Army's units in eastern Shan State increases, one of the Burmese officers was quoted as saying it was not mounting an attack on Loi Kawwan, the SSA border base between Monghsat and Chiangrai, as earlier reports indicate.
 
It is merely an annual exercise, said the officer who asked not to be named, although we have started somewhat sooner because of the fight on 15 September.
 
The clash on the said date when the SSA walked into an ambush set up by the Burma Army's Light Infantry Battalion 330 resulted in heavy casualties on the latter after the former's rearguard retaliated with a counter attack from the flanks. (Burma Army beefs up border forces, 19 September 2006)

There are 4 reasons why the exercises are necessary, according to him:

 

• The need to show the SSA who the boss and remind the group that it cant go everywhere as it pleases.
• The need to keep its own officers and men on toes. We don't want them to forget why they are carrying arms and wearing uniforms, he said.
• The need to warn the Thai army we are not staying idle.
• The need to also remind the Wa ceasefire group that is also active on the Thai-Burma border we are ready for them too.

 

The SSA meanwhile claims it has been fighting everyday against the Burma Army's 14 battalions deployed to go after it since 15 September. The latest report read out to S.H.A.N. yesterday spoke of a foiled attempt by the Burma Army's Light Infantry Battalion 316 to surround a patrol from the SSA's 678th Battalion at Loi Hpaleng, Loi Tawkham tract, Tachilek township. The ensuing brief encounter between 15:14-15:30 resulted in 1 dead and 5 wounded on the attackers side. Casualties on the SSA side was not mentioned.

For months, there have been continuing reports about the Burma Army's impending assault on Loi Kawwan which so far have failed to materialize.