February – April 2020 Kachin and Northern Shan State Conflict Review
29 May 2020
Northern Burma
There were no clashes between the Burma Army and Kachin Independence Army (KIA) from January through March 2020 in Kachin State. This April, Burma Army provocations and reconnaissance drones used against the KIA in Waingmaw Township, home to KIA command, are setbacks for trust building. Northern Shan State has remained contentious primarily in Kuthkai and Theinni (Hseni) townships.
APRIL – (Kachin & N. Shan states) 5 Battles, 4 Attacks (provocations), 2 Drones (reconnaissance)
MARCH (N. Shan State) – 12 Battles
FEBRUARY – (N. Shan State) – 4 Battles, 1 Civilian Landmine Injury
April – 5 Battles, 4 Attacks (provocations), 2 Drones (reconnaissance)
Kachin State
Mogoung Township – 1 Attack Provocation
On April 19 at 1800, Burma Army Infantry Battalion (IB) 105 fired eight rounds of 60mm and 82mm mortars toward KIA Kawng Ra Post, Mogoung Township. The shells landed at Chyang Hkawng Pa.
Momauk Township – 1 Drone (Reconnaissance)
On April 16 between 1130-1500, Burma Army soldiers flew a drone from Yaw Tung Post over Kawng Wai Post and Kawng Tsaw Post in Momauk Township.
Waingmaw Township – 3 Attack Provocation, 1 Drone (Reconnaissance)
On April 15 at 0700, Burma Army Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 319 stationed at Wuhtau Bum fired 50 caliber machine gun three times toward Samda Bum, Waingmaw Township, where KIA soldiers stay. At 2030 two 60mm mortar rounds were fired again.
On April 19 at 1900, Burma Army LIB 601 stationed at Law Hpyu flew a drone over Ting Rawng Bum, Waingmaw Township, where KIA soldiers stayed. Between 1900-2100 Burma Army soldiers fired small arms 15 times.
Northern Shan State
Kyaukme Township – 1 Battle
On April 19 around 1030, a clash occurred between Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) 2nd Brigade soldiers and Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army-South (RCSS/SSA-S) soldiers near Loi Pan Dang in Kyaukme Township.
Theinni Township – 4 Battles
On April 07 between 1300-1330, a chance clash occurred between Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) soldiers and approximately 80 Burma Army Light Infantry Division (LID) 99 soldiers positioned around Bang Hta Ji and Bang Ya Yung. The fighting occurred around Shau Sai Ling, Theinni Township.
On April 15, a clash occurred between MNDAA soldiers and Burma Army soldiers along Loi Hprwi near Man Mak Banggaw Bum. At 1400 another clash occurred between TNLA soldiers and Burma Army soldiers along Loi Chyan near Mung Yaw, in Theinni Township.
On April 28 between 1040-1100, a clash occurred between approximately 60 Burma Army LID 99 soldiers coming from Na Nawng and TNLA soldiers at Nam Uk Village in Theinni Township.
March – 12 Battles
Northern Shan State
Kuthkai Township – 6 Battles
On March 1 at 1120, KIA vigilantes (Pat Jasan in Kachin) from 2nd Battalion area under 10th Brigade clashed with Burma Army LID 99 soldiers near Huhkin near Loi Wawng, Kuthkai Township.
On March 1 at 1516, KIA 4th Company, 2nd Battalion, fought the Burma Army in a field near Lung Woi, Kuthkai Township.
On March 2 at 0900, approximately 400 Burma Army LID 99 soldiers operated in Hu Nam and Nawng Byet villages, and another 800 troops operated around Kawng Hka and Loi Hkang, Kuthkai Township.
On March 2 at 1200, more Burma Army reinforcements arrived by helicopter near Kawng Hka and Loi Hkang, Kuthkai Township.
On March 3 between 1000-1030, there was a chance contact (clash) near Bang Hka Village between MNDAA soldiers and approximately 70 Burma Army LIB 326 soldiers coming from Pu Wang, Kuthkai Township.
Two bodies of KIA soldiers, identified as Pvt. Hpaugun Tang Mai and Pvt. Sumlut Hawng Lum, who were attacked and killed by Burma Army LID 99 were recovered on March 3. The KIA solders had traveled to Hang Shan Pa from Hu Bung to carry rice on Feb. 23 when they were attacked. A funeral service for the two slain was held on March 4.
On March 5, a chance clash occurred between 60 Burma Army soldiers from LID 88 coming from Mung Hawm and an estimated 20 TNLA soldiers from No. 818 Battalion near Man Chya Wak Village, Kuthkai Township.
On March 15 at 0700, Panse Pyitutsit (PTT) militia soldiers and Burma Army soldiers battled TNLA units (101, 112, 478, 571) around Panse Bum behind Namhpaka in Kuthkai Township. Three TNLA soldiers were wounded. Eight Panse PTT militia were captured by TNLA soldiers.
On March 18 between 1200-1300, KIA soldiers from 3rd Company, 2nd Battalion, clashed with approximately 100 Burma Army LID 99 soldiers coming from Mung Paw at Nam La Hkaraw in Kuthkai Township.
On March 24 at 1300, Burma Army LID 99 disbanded the Kawnghka PTT headquarters in Kuthkai Township and confiscated all arms and mortars from the PTT base office.
On March 25 at 0700, Kawnghka PTTs stationed at Man Lun Base and Nam Hkai Base handed over all arms to Burma Army LIB 567. Kawnghka PTTs stationed at Man Mak Base, Kang Shau Dap and Ja Yang Base handed their weapons over to LIB 364 based at Mung Jet.
Manton Township – 3 Battles
On March 19 at 1130, a clash occurred between TNLA Unit 978 under 2nd Brigade operating around Loi Pan Dang and approximately 60 Burma Army soldiers under LID 101 coming from Kawng Ping, near Loi Pan Dang, Manton Township.
On March 25 at 0900, TNLA soldiers from 3rd Brigade command detonated three landmines at an estimated 100 Burma Army soldiers coming from Mung Maw and then fired rifles at them. The clash took place near Pan Dang in Manton Township.
On March 29 at 2000, a clash occurred between 60 Burma Army IB 258 soldiers under LID 101 coming from Maw Noi and TNLA soldiers near Nam Lang in Manton Township.
Theinni Township – 3 Battles
On March 1 between 1130-1200, KIA 2nd Company from 17th Battalion and approximately 60 Burma Army LIB 367 soldiers battled between Kawng Ta and Bang Sak, Theinni Township.
On March 26 between 1230-1300, MNDAA soldiers from No. 311 Brigade clashed with approximately 50 Burma Army soldiers in three military trucks coming from Sinli on the Bang Ya Bum road between Nam Hkai and Ja Yang. Between 1600-1630, MNDAA soldiers clashed with an estimated 80 Burma Army soldiers at Man Kawng Bum between Ja Yang Man Kawng and Hohuk, Theinni Township.
Kachin State
Danai Township – New Burma Army Base
On March 17, a team led by Northern Command from Myitkyina arrived at Danai Regional Operations Command (ROC) base by helicopter and inspected the soldiers who cleared bushes for a new artillery unit base along Hein Aung Fuel Pump and Mile-4 in Danai Township.
Hpakant Township – Checkpoint, 1 Civilian attack
On March 22 at 1145, approximately 11 Burma Army soldiers led by Major San Min Aung from LIB 111 stationed at Le Pyin Gun Powder Centre with a 4×4 car frisked and inquired into all people’s business as they traveled by car or cycle in front of the monastery in Sanghka Village, Hpakant Township.
On March 22, Mr. Nangzing Gam Hpang from Nam Si En and Mr. Lahtaw Gam Hpang from Kamaing Htoi San Tang Village went out to hunt at night by torchlight between Mahkaw Bum and Ja Bum. Burma Army LIB 12 positioned at Mada Bum, Hpakant Township, saw the torch light in the mountain and fired rifles and a 60mm mortar round toward them.
February – 4 Battles, 1 Civilian Landmine Injury
Northern Shan State
Kuthkai Township – 3 Battles, 1 Civilian Landmine Injury
On Feb. 5, a KIA officer wearing civilian dress was departing the 60th Anniversary of the Kachin Revolution in Nawng Jang Village, Kuthkai Township, when he was ordered to stop by Burma Army soldiers. He did not heed their interception and he was shot in the left shoulder.
On Feb. 06 at 1020, Burma Army soldiers advanced toward Nawng Jang Village, Kuthkai Township, where a 60th Anniversary of the Kachin Revolution ceremony was being held and a clash occurred with KIA 9th Battalion.
On Feb. 12 at 1420, a Burma Army convoy of eight trucks left the 105-Mile area and stopped at Lung Hkang enroute to Mungbaw. A KIA militia detonated two command mines, destroying one truck, at Mahkaw Kawng between Namtau and Kawnghka in Kuthkai Township.
On Feb. 14 at 1715, a Mr. Je Hpwi Ye, age 55, of Nam San Yang Village, was injured when he stepped on a landmine on the way to Nbung Yang, Waingmaw Township. His left leg was wounded, and he was sent to Laiza Local Hospital.
On Feb. 22 at 1037, KIA 37th Battalion and Burma Army soldiers battled at Man Kawng Lung old village between Hu Bung and Man Pyin in Kuthkai Township.
On Feb. 23 at 1500, two KIA soldiers carrying rice to Hang Shan Pa from Hu Bung were attacked by Burma Army LID 99 soldiers in Kuthkai Township.
Mabein Township – 1 Battle
On Feb. 15 between 1200-1205, KIA 12th Battlalion defended against a Burma Army LIB 601 attack at Na Lai Ji, Mabein Township, Northern Shan State.
Theinni (Hseni) Township
On Feb. 25 Burma Army troops uncovered an MNDAA weapons cache consisting of 22 M-22 rifles and a 40mm mortar around Nam Jawn, Theinni Township.