Update on Situation in Ta’ang Region
February 3, 2015
As Tatmadaw (Myanmar Army) suffered heavy casualty, 3 jet fighters came in as reinforcement to support the offensive.
Battles taking place near Mogoke Town and Pateela village started at 0945 hours, and went on well after dusk. As Myanmar side suffered heavy casualty, 3 helicopter gunships came in at about 1800 hours, as a reinforcement. At the same time 3 jet fighters came in and parked on the
airstrip at Momeik to assist.
Moreover, troops from units based at Mogoke, Momeik and the foothill of Mandalay Hill came to assist in the battles.
News and Information Department
PSLF/TNLA
——————————————————————————————
3rd February, Breaking News
A battle took place near Pantila village in Migoke Township, Ta’ang Region between the TNLA and Myanmar Army troops, starting from 0945 hours until the time of this report.
Update: Myanmar aircraft attacked also on Hsainglein and Shwe Nyaungbin villages.
Reinforcements of over 300 Myanmar troops from Momeik-Molon side and over 300 from Momeik- Khunka side marched towards the area where a battle was taking place.
News and Information Department
PSLF/TNLA
—————————————————
February 2, 2015
Troops from Battalion-717, under TNLA Brigade-2, and Myanmar troops from IB-223 clashed near Shwe Nyaungbin and Shwe Thaya villages in Momeik Township, from 0840 hours to
1700 hours.
In the clash, not less than 9 Myanmar troops were killed and one killed on the TNLA side.
News and Information Department
PSLF/TNLA
———————————————————————
February 1, 2015
More fierce battles between TNLA and Myanmar troops – A battle took place on Namtsan-Panlon highway between troops from Battalion-773, under TNLA Brigade-3, and Myanmar troops fromDivision77.Two were killed on Myanmar side and no casualty
on TNLA side.
News and Information Department
PSLF/TNLA
4th Feb, 2015
1) Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) fought against Burma Army for two days while TNLA was on an opium-eradication mission on the border between Mogoke and Mongmit townships on Feb 2 and Feb 3, 2015.Because of the clash 2 students and 3 villagers were seriously wounded, and more than 2000 from five Ta’ang villages, and other Lishaw and Chinese villages fled to the mountainous areas near the towns.
2) Because of that fighting, some ethnic villages near the battle have been totally abandoned and the schools in them are now closed. So the government must try to ensure that these schools are reopened because just a few days are left for students to study and sit the final exam and the ongoing fighting will be threatening their education. Given that, the government must stop the offensive targeting civilians and take responsibility for the 2 wounded students.
3) More than 1000 government soldiers from bases in Mogoke and Mongmit and Mandalay Hill, as well as 2 gunships and 1 fighter jets are now used in the offensive and there have been heavy causalities on both sides.
4) We denounce the brutal and indiscriminate use of force by Burma Army because it violates the Geneva Conventions that prohibit against utilizing armed helicopters, heavy weapons such as artillery, and excessive manpower and firepower.
5) Such kind of using excessive force is all the more inappropriate in the current situation , when President Thein Sein has publicly shown willingness to sign the nationwide ceasefire agreement on Feb 12 , 2015. So we, Ta’ang Women Organization and Ta’and Student and Youth Union, condemn the use of heavy military power such as armed helicopters during large-scale offensives that prevent the signing of ceasefire agreement and peace process.
6) So we demand the following
• The government stop immediately and absolutely the full-scale offensive
• The government stops immediately and absolutely the use of fighter jets, gunships, and rockets during civil war with ethnic groups.
• The government cooperates with the public in eradication of opium and other narcotics
as a national priority
• The government take responsibility of the welfare, education and resettlement of the war refugees
Ta’ang Women Organization – TWO
Ta’ang Students and Youth Union-TSYU
Contacts:
1. DD Poe Kyein (TWO) 09-6718218
2. Lway Poe Kyein Kee (TWO) 09-252325799
3. Mai Myo Aung (TSYU) 09-91051695
4. Mai Thein Zaw (TSYU) 09-47214717
TWO & TSYU’s Joint Statement on Stop the brutal offensive in English