Fighting erupted between Chinland Defence Force (CDF) and Burma Army in Mindat Township for the first time since a temporary ceasefire expired last week.
According to CDF, the violence began on Wednesday, July 21, at 6:45 am, after a Burma Army column was dispatched to Shwe Twin Tuu village (AKA Ghui Kyum) near Magwe Region.
Meanwhile, a second Burma Army column is marching towards Mindat from Matupi. On July 19, soldiers were spotted at milepost No. 70.
There are six Burma Army battalions in Mindat Township. According to CDF, two battalions are conducting covert operations in the region. Burma Army IB-274 is based in Mindat town.
Since the conflict began, CDF claims it killed nearly 200 Tatmadaw soldiers and destroyed 6 army vehicles during 20 clashes between April 24 to June 8. Only 24 freedom fighters have perished, it said.
The trouble started after the military arrested youth protesters for supporting the interim government, which was formed by lawmakers ousted during the February 1 coup.
Several Burma Army soldiers died during the first firefight with the CDF chapter in Mindat on April 24. A few days later, the freedom fighters killed another soldier and a police officer.
“In May, we fought many times with the Burma Army, killing over 60 soldiers near the golf course and on the western side of Mindat town,” the Mindat spokesperson said. He explained CDF achieved such a high kill rate because the military was caught off guard.
“At the beginning, they completely underestimated us. We ambushed them during our first battle. The second time that we fought, our CDF youth members were so brave pushing forward and shooting at them. They underestimated us yet again.”
After fighting intensified in late April, Burma Army offered peace dialogue with CDF, with town elders and religious leaders from Mindat town stepping up to mediate. Both sides agreed to stop fighting to allow negotiations to proceed.
The peace agreement brokered between the military council and CDF (at the time CDF in Mindat was called Mindat People’s Administration) expired May 12, after the former refused to release all of the youths it arrested. On May 13, the military council imposed martial law and laid siege to the town, eventually driving out the majority of the residents.
The military sent waves of troops in dozens of helicopters to Mindat and shelled CDF positions. After the army used human shields, allowing its troops to penetrate the town, the civilian resistance group retreated to the jungle.
According to CDF, there were 20 clashes from May 15 to June 15. A second temporary ceasefire was brokered from June 20 to July 4, and this was extended until the 16th.