Myanmar's ethnic rebels backed by former Chinese soldiers
Myanmar's ethnic Kokang rebels are being supported in their fight against government forces by former Chinese soldiers and allied minority rebel groups, a senior military officer said.
Myanmar's ethnic Kokang rebels are being supported in their fight against government forces by former Chinese soldiers and allied minority rebel groups, a senior military officer said.
Myanmar's chief of military affairs security said at a news conference yesterday that despite the assistance, the Kokang guerrillas were retreating after two weeks of combat.
Lt. Gen. Mya Tun Oo also said the government was forced to fight because it needed to defend its sovereignty over Kokang - a special region near the border with China. More than 50 military troops and 70 Kokang rebels have been killed in fighting since February 9, according to the government.
Mya Tun Oo said the Kokang were being helped in combat by guerrilla armies from the minority areas of Kachin, Mong La, Wa, Palaung and northern Shan.
Kachin and Wa rebels field relatively powerful forces, but the Kachin have denied taking part in combat in Kokang.
He also said the Kokang forces included former Chinese soldiers who were providing military training. Myanmar officials had previously suggested that the Kokang had support from China - a claim denied by Beijing.
The Kokang are ethnically Chinese, and their leaders have sheltered on the Chinese side of the border.
China is a major political and economic supporter of Myanmar, but there is unease among many about the influence the Chinese exercise, especially in loosely controlled areas in the north.
