Ethnic Armed To Fight Myanmar's Military Regime At The Border, Thailand Ready To Accommodate Refugees

JAKARTA - The ethnic armed wing of Kachin State, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), has again attacked the security forces of the Myanmar military regime.

This time the attack was directed at a police base in the jade mining area of Hpakant on Thursday, March 18, according to Myanmar Now.

"The attack targeted a police battalion where soldiers are stationed near Nam Maw village on the Seik Muu village route. There is a Myanmar police battalion around Nam Maw. At least three bases under attack", said a resident.

KIA is known to have carried out several attacks against troops of the recent coup regime. Fighting has also been reported in Mogaung and Injangyang this month.

On Monday this week, KIA also launched attacks on positions of troops from the Myanmar military regime in Gwi Htau Village, near the Myitsone Dam Project in Injangyang Township.

The attack, which involved the KIA 1st Brigade, started Monday night until midnight the following day. The attacks on the border come as more and more refugees have fled Myanmar's major cities, taking refuge on borders controlled by ethnic armed forces.

For example, the Karen National Union (KNU), which has been battling Myanmar's military for decades, now hosts nearly a thousand people sheltering within the territory they control.

"Some were strike leaders, some were involved in CDM (civil disobedience), government staff, police, and military defectors and later also some lawmakers and doctors", said KNU Head of Foreign Affairs Padoh Saw Taw, quoted Reuters.

He said a small number had also sought refuge further north, on the border with Shan state, in territory controlled by other ethnic militias.

Apart from the KNU bordering Thailand and the Kachin State bordering China, a total of more than two dozen armed ethnic groups are active on the Myanmar border.

Separately, Thai authorities are bracing for an influx of refugees and have set aside areas to accommodate more than 43,000 people in Mae Sot District. Colonel Prasan Henprasert of the Thai army said border patrols had been stepped up.

"If there is a clash then we have to assess the situation and prepare the area. Based on our experience, many people might cross and come back when the situation is safer because they have a house on the other side", he explained.

Myanmar Coup. The VOI editorial team continues to monitor the political situation in one of the ASEAN member countries. Casualties from civilians continue to fall. Readers can follow the news surrounding the Myanmar military coup by tapping on this link.