Some 18 clashes have broken out between the Burma Army and the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) in Mong Kung Township in southern Shan State following a meeting held between the two forces on March 1 to address previous fighting. 

The battles have occurred in the Loi Don mountain range in Ham Ngai village tract since February 27. 

RCSS troops withdrew from their camp in the area following the meeting, describing the move as an attempt to avoid harming the peace process. 

“We have had at least 18 clashes with them since our meeting. Our soldiers were injured, and government soldiers were killed and injured in these recent clashes,” RCSS spokesperson Maj Sai Kham San told SHAN, adding that Shan troops had seized around 10 rifles from the government forces. 

While there was no active fighting in the area at the time of reporting, tension remains high in Mung Kung as Burma Army military columns continue to patrol the area. 

Fighting also spilled over into nearby Kesi Township, leading government troops to shut down the Kesi-Mong Nong road on March 2. Kesi MP Sai San Mueng told SHAN that the road remains closed and the situation is creating difficulties for locals who need to travel between the two townships. 

Due to the fighting, there are more than 500 internally displaced people currently seeking refuge in monasteries in Ham Ngai in Mong Kung and around 160 in monasteries in Kesi Township. 

Locals have also reported that Burma Army soldiers have looted their homes and shops during their displacement. Villagers have also been detained while trying to return to their homes and tend to their livestock.