Kokang ethnic soldiers. Pic: AP.
In Northern Burma/Myanmar the situation has seriously deteriorated after violence between Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) rebels and the army erupted on February 9 in Laukkai, the capital of Kokang region. The fight began after Kokang fighters led by 85-year-old Peng Jiasheng, launched an attack on government forces in what is widely perceived to be an attempt to reestablish the MNDAA’s control on the region after the defeat they suffered in 2009. According to the Associated Press, on February 21 the fighting had already claimed the lives of more than 50 soldiers and 70 rebels.
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Source: Asian Correspondent