One of the eight ethnic armed groups that is a signatory to Burma’s Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) has accused the government of breaking the terms of the accord by attacking one of its bases.

The Restoration Council of Shan State/Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA), the first of the ethnic groups to sign a ceasefire with Naypyidaw, accuses Burmese army Battalion 292 of launching an offensive on October 1 against its base in Wan Boi village, Donglao village-tract, in southern Shan State’s Mong Kung Township – specifically against a rehabilitation center that the Shan militia has established to help treat drug users in the area.

Lt-Col Sai Nguen, the RCSS/SSA’s Peace Team secretary, said that the Burmese army broke the terms of the NCA, and that its commanders did not issue any warning ahead of the incursion.

“According to the NCA, both sides are obliged to cooperate in drug eradication efforts,” he told Shan Herald on Monday. “That is precisely what we are doing as per our agreement. We are treating those who are addicted.

“They [government forces] knew that we were operating this kind of work, but they still attacked us,” he explained. “And they took away the drug addicts after overrunning the base.”

On October 7, Shan Herald reported that local residents in Donglao had witnessed the Burmese troops arresting and detaining at least 10 other villagers.

The Shan Human Rights Foundation (SHRF) reported that during the recent clashes, a number of local villagers were arrested, tortured and even killed.

It was confirmed by a local MP that some 2,000 civilians had fled their homes to escape the fighting.

The state-owned Myawady Daily news journal published an article on October 10 that counter-accused the RCSS/SSA of arresting and detaining villagers in the Donglao area.

According to its report, the Shan armed group had arrested 25 people. The government mouthpiece further maintained that those villagers who had been detained by government forces were released on October 7 at an administrative office in Namlant tract of Hsipaw Township.

In response, Lt-Col Sai Nguen denied that the RCSS/SSA had detained local villagers in Donglao.

“These people are not prisoners. They are the drug addicts who are being treated at a rehabilitation center,” he said, adding that the Myawady Daily report was incorrect.

The Shan army spokesman said that government forces never cooperate with them on these issues, and that they had an agenda of trying to make the RCSS/SSA look bad in the eyes of the local public.

“They always create problems when we are simply trying to help people,” he said.

Signed between eight armed groups, including the RCSS/SSA, on October 15 last year, the NCA includes a provision that those signatories be removed from the terms of the Unlawful Associations Act, and that persons previously detained under that Act be released.

The accord also allows the ethnic armies to implement initiatives in their territories that fall under the following sectors: health, education, and socio-economic services, as well as environmental conservation, drug eradication, cultural promotion, international and national aid, and private sector activities.

According to Chapter 3 of the NCA document, all sides are obliged to distribute military codes of conduct throughout their command structure.

BY Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN)