Militia bomb village to avoid frontline duty

A Non-Government Organization and local residents working and living in the area around Namhsan Godawng village in Shan State blame an exploded bomb on a militia group aligned to the Burma Army.

Sources close to the militia group said the bomb blast was an attempt by the local militia group from Muse Township to avoid being sent to frontline as support to the Burma Army who is fighting the Shan State Army.

A NGO project manager operating in the area said it was a plot by local militia to show that they should be kept in their area for security and not sent to the frontline to fight.

“The militia is sponsored by the government for maintaining the security of the villages. But in recent weeks Burma Army have sent them to the frontlines where other militia groups are being used in the fighting. These guys don’t want to be sent to fighting zones, so they hatched this plot. Then, they would have an excuse and say that they can’t go as they have to take care of the security in their area.”

U Sam Naw Aung, a resident from the area, explained to Karen News how he was nearly a victim of the bomb blast.

“I was passing by on motorbike as the bomb exploded. It was about noon. I didn’t know what happen at first and I was frightened. My ears are almost deaf by the noise. After a while, I took a look at the explosion spot and it was right in front of my friend, U Lashan’s house.”

The explosion didn’t kill anyone but it destroyed the front doors of houses nearby. It has been almost a week since the explosion but residents say the authorities have not carried out any inquiry or investigation into the incident.

Following the explosion, local residents were claiming that the local militia leader, U Aik Hsam, conveniently went on a trip to China to avoid being in the area at the time of the explosion.

In recent months there has been heavy fighting in Northern Shan State between government troops and the combined forces of ethnic armed groups such as the Kachin Independent Army and Shan State Army – Burma Army has suffered huge losses in the conflict to ambushes and supervised controlled explosive devices.