Myanmar military withdrew from positions close to China’s border ‘for safety of people’
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
General Min Aung Hlaing said an alliance of ethnic armed groups were receiving weapons from “foreign” sources, which he did not identify.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Follow topic:
YANGON - Myanmar’s military withdrew from some positions close to China’s border to prioritise the “safety of people”, the junta chief said, days after an alliance of ethnic armed groups said they had routed state troops in the area.
Shan state in eastern Myanmar has been rocked by fighting
“With regard to the situation of Shan state, security forces withdrew their positions by considering the security of current areas and safety of people,” General Min Aung Hlaing said in a speech on state television on the night of Aug 5.
“The government will continually strive to ensure peace and stability – not only in Shan state, but the entire nation,” he added.
His comments came days after the MNDAA said it had captured a regional military command
Alliance fighters “fully captured the headquarters of the north-east military command” in Lashio, the group said in a statement on Aug 3.
Junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun admitted on Aug 5 that the military had lost contact with senior officers
“Got last contact with the senior officers at 6.30pm on Aug 3, and we lost contact with them till now,” he said in a statement.
“According to reports that are still being confirmed, it is known that terrorist insurgents arrested some senior officers.”
Dozens of civilians have been killed or wounded in the recent fighting, according to the junta and local rescue groups.
Myanmar’s borderlands are home to myriad ethnic armed groups that have battled the military since independence from Britain in 1948 for autonomy and control of lucrative resources.
Some have given shelter and training to newer “People’s Defence Forces” that have sprung up to battle the military after its ouster of Ms Aung San Suu Kyi’s government
China is a major ally and arms supplier to the junta, but analysts say it also maintains ties with armed ethnic groups in Myanmar that hold territory near its border.
Gen Min Aung Hlaing said on Aug 5 that the alliance was receiving weapons, including drones and short-range missiles, from “foreign” sources, which he did not identify.
“It is necessary to analyse the sources of monetary and technological power,” the military leader said. AFP
