(Rangoon) In Burma, clashes have resumed since Tuesday in Shan State (north) between an ethnic armed group and the troops of the ruling junta, leaving two dead, according to residents and local media.
The Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) launched dawn attacks on Tuesday against military positions in the town of Kyaukme, which is on a vital trade route with neighboring China.
This attack comes in violation of a ceasefire concluded under the aegis of Beijing at the beginning of the year after weeks of fighting in this region between the army and an alliance formed of the TNLA and two other groups ethnic armed forces.
The TNLA attacked a police station in Kyaukme on Wednesday morning, a rescue worker who requested anonymity for security reasons told AFP.
“People who live in the city center do not dare to leave their homes,” he added.
According to another rescuer, two civilians were killed and two others injured by artillery fire on Tuesday. He did not specify from which side the shots came.
The TNLA said it clashed with the army on Tuesday in Naungcho and Hsipaw townships, as well as in Mogok, in the neighboring Mandalay region, known for its ruby production.
AFP tried unsuccessfully to reach a junta spokesperson for comment.
Beijing, for its part, assured on Wednesday that it was “constantly pleading so that Burma can restore a stable state and society as soon as possible”.
“We are also willing to continue to provide all possible assistance and support for the progress of relevant peace talks,” said Mao Ning, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
The TNLA is a member of the “Brotherhood Alliance”, alongside the Arakan Army (AA) and the Burma National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA).
In a surprise offensive in October, the alliance seized swathes of Myanmar territory and several lucrative crossing points with China, dealing the junta its biggest blow since it seized power in 2021.
The ceasefire brokered by China in January solidified positions, but recently both sides have accused each other of breaking the truce.
According to projunta media, border trade with China fell by almost a third between April and May compared to the same period the previous year.
In November, the AA alone launched another offensive, in the state of Rakhine (west), where it claims to be fighting for greater autonomy for members of the Rakhine ethnic group.
It has seized territory along the borders with Bangladesh and India and plans to take the state capital, Sittwe, where there is a deep-water port financed by India.
In Burma, a plethora of ethnic armed groups are based in border areas, fighting since 1948, the date of independence, for autonomy and control of natural resources.