The Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA) said Sunday that a group of its troops who were detained by Myanmar military regime forces on suspicion of transporting weapons and ammunition to other ethnic armed groups in Karenni (Kayah) and Karen states were on leave and acting independently.
The military regime announced on Sunday that five RCSS/SSA troops were arrested near Mat Kyan Village in Nangsan Township on July 12 with 15 weapons; 43,765 rounds of ammunition of various types; 450 different bombs; 15 ammunition boxes; and 15 ropes.
The junta said the five RCSS/SSA members—identified as Sai Nom Mein, Sai Hsu, Sai Kong, Bo Bo Han and Sai Hom Hline—acquired the ammunition from the Pa-O National Liberation Army and were transporting it from a location near the Narr Yine Village junction in a black Toyota VIGO to the Karenni National Progressive Party and Karenni Nationalities Defense Force in Karenni State and to the Karen National Liberation Army on the Karen-Karenni border. The three ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) are fighting Myanmar junta forces in their areas.
The military regime claimed the arms and ammunition were produced by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). It said the KIA both sells and gives weapons and explosive materials to anti-regime People’s Defense Force groups (PDFs) and EAOs.
Junta-controlled media platforms have alleged that “terrorist” PDFs and ethnic armed groups are using the arms and ammunition to kill regime civil servants and destroy infrastructure such as bridges, roads and buildings in an effort to make it impossible for the government to function.
The regime said it would take “effective action” against the five detained RCSS troops.
Responding to the military regime’s statement, the RCSS/SSA said Sunday that the five personnel involved in the incident were acting of their own accord while on leave, and had violated the organization’s rules and regulations by engaging in the sale of arms and ammunition.
The ethnic armed group said it strictly prohibits its members from selling illicit arms and ammunition.
The RCSS is a Shan force led by warlord Yard Serk that signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement in October 2015, together with seven other ethnic armed groups. Since the military coup in February 2021, the RCSS/SSA has met with coup leader Ming Aung Hlaing frequently for sham “peace talks” that have been boycotted by the other major EAOs for being insincere and lacking inclusivity.
The RCSS/SSA has not engaged in any clashes with junta troops since the coup.
