Fresh Clashes in Shan State the Day after Election
By Lawi Weng 10 November 2015
RANGOON — The day after Burma’s historic election, clashes have once again broken out in Kyethi Township, where the Shan State Army-North (SSA-N) say the Burma Armed Forces have used aerial forces and artillery in an attack on its Wan Hai village headquarters.
“They have been attacking us since yesterday evening at 6pm,” said SSA-N spokesman Sai Hla on Tuesday morning.
He claimed that two Air Force planes had strafed the area in the morning, destroying a Buddhist monastery, which The Irrawaddy has so far been unable to independently confirm.
“We are still collecting information about how many villagers were wounded. We do not know about causalities yet,” he said, adding that all villagers from Wan Hai had already fled the area.
Fresh clashes between the military and SSA-N broke out on Oct. 6. Around 6,000 villagers have fled from the conflict and Shan civil society groups have repeatedly petitioned the government to put an end to the assault.
Sai Hla told The Irrawaddy fighting has stopped in the days leading up to the election before resuming on Monday evening.
