#BURMA #MYANMAR #TNLA: #Violence flare-up in #Namhkham, Shan State

Two clashes between army troops, government-formed Pan Say Kyaw Myint’s militia and Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) broke out on April 25, in Namhkham, northern Shan State, a TNLA official told Eleven Media.
On April 25, the TNLA Battalion 478 opened fire to the army’s Htainkan Camp in Lwel Chat Village in Namhkham.
The camp, a tea factory taken over by troops, situated along the Shwe underground gas pipeline.
“The ambush happened around 5 am Friday. The camp troops used force to collect money from the civilians,” TNLA’s secretary general Lt-Col. Tar Bone Kyaw told Eleven Media.
Afterwards, the TNLA raided the militia in Mongpan Village at 6:30 am and found eight M 22 long rifles, one carbine, one pistol and a number of illicit drugs, according to the information department of PSLF/TNLA (Palaung State Liberation Front/Ta’ang National Liberation Army).
The fighting between the government army, Pan Say Kyaw Myint’s militia and TNLA has started since the beginning of April.

“When we organize our people, we need an access to the areas controlled by government. But they did not allow us and opened fire (at TNLA). That’s why fighting renewed. Pan Say Kyaw Myint’s militia was formed by the government and they could not resist its order and started fighting us,” said Tar Bone Kyaw.
The government forces under North-East Command and the TNLA’s Battalion-478 from Namhkham and Battalion-112 from Kutkai involved in the clashes.
“We fought with the remaining battalions from the government’s Division 88 which has been in Kachin State. According to local sources, there were 16 casualties from the government side and no casualty from our side,” said Tar Bone Kyaw.
The fighting would continue in Shan State unless the government stopped expanding the military presence, he added.
There was no response from the Ministry of Defence and North-East Command when contacted for comments.
The TNLA, an ally of Kachin Independence Army, operates in northern Shan State. It is an armed ethnic group that has yet to sign a ceasefire deal with the government.

ELEVEN MEDIA

SHAN ARMY open a drug rehabilitation hospital

EMG

The Shan State Progressive Party and Shan State Army plan to open a drug rehabilitation hospital near Muse and Namhkham townships in northern Shan State, a spokesperson for the party said.

“There has been an increase in the number of drug addicts in our state. Most of them are living in downtown [areas]. Our party has a strong desire to improve Shan State in all aspects. So, we are now planning to build a drug rehabilitation hospital for ethnic Shan drug addicts,” he said.

The site for the hospital has not been selected yet but it will be near Muse and Namhkham, the spokesperson added.

“Human resources play a vital role in the development of a nation or a state. The major problems of the people living in Shan State are war and drug abuse,” he said adding that drug abuse was damaging youths in particular.