2010–2011 Burma border clashes
Encyclopedia
The 2010-2011 Burma Border clashes are a series of ongoing skirmishes between the Myanmar Armed Forces (Tatmadaw) and splinter brigades of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army
(DKBA). The clashes erupted along the border with Thailand
shortly after the general election
on 7 November 2010. An estimated 10,000 refugees have fled into nearby neighbouring Thailand to escape the violent conflict. There is concern that due to discontent with the elections, and speculations of electoral fraud
, that the conflict could escalate into a civil war
.
, in Karen State, on 8 November. The government deployed heavy artillery in the town in response to the presence of forces from the renegade DKBA brigade. The military had allegedly threatened to shoot people who refused to vote. There were also clashes near Three Pagodas Pass
. It is believed at least three people were killed and twenty wounded when a Burmese Army artillery shell landed in a market in the centre of Myawaddy. At least five Thai civilians were injured when a rocket propelled grenade
exploded in the town of Mae Sot
, on the border between Thailand and Burma.
It is estimated that at least 10,000 refugees have fled into Thailand to escape the violence. DKBA rebels took the town of Myawaddy on 9 November, and were holding it against government forces. The town was closed off, and information on further casualties remains unavailable.
According to Thai sources, the Tatmadaw recaptured the majority of the town later in the evening, after an earlier battle between troops and DKBA forces. By the following morning only a few areas remained under rebel control. The Thai military, who are supervising the thousands of refugees, announced that it would send the refugees back over the border once the situation in the town had calmed down.
By the middle of 9 November, reports emerged that government troops had fully retaken the town, and pushed rebel troops back into the forests. Thai Officials were preparing to start moving the estimated 15,000 refugees back over the border.
Late on Tuesday 9 November, refugees started moving back over the river from Thailand, with the government claiming that its forces had quelled the violence, and that DKBA fighters were no longer present in the town. It is believed between five and ten civilians were killed during the fighting. However, neither the government nor DKBA fighters have released any information on the numbers of casualties from the fighting.
area. The next day, both sides continued small skirmishes with both sides exchanging rocket fire. DKBA forces allegedly briefly took control of the town of Phayathonzu, however government forces drove the rebels out. According to a Thai official, at least 30 rockets were fired by both sides between 4 and 6am. Both belligerents are believed to have reinforced their numbers over the last few days. The DKBA rebel, Waw Lay base was also destroyed by Government forces after a heavy artillery bombardment.
On November 12, Al-Jazeera English reported that the DKBA had joined forces with the Karen National Liberation Army
in order to counter an expected crackdown by the government. Fighting then erupted again as both sides exchanged rocket fire. During the fighting a RPG
exploded near Tinetayar Monastery, wounding 3 civilians who were taken to a nearby hospital.
Fighting flared up once more on the evening of November 14 with DKBA forces once more exchanging Mortar
and small arms fire with Government troops. The fresh outburst of violence sent at least 200 civilians fleeing across the border into Thailand Thai officials were keen to start sending the refugees back over the border as soon as the violence died down.
On the 27th DKBA forces ambushed government troops reportedly killed One soldier and wounding 8. Government forces used 81-millimeter shells against rebel forces during the attack, however no rebel casualties have been announced. The fighting sent a reported 1,000 civilians over the border once more into Thailand.
.
Gun battles were exchanged between Junta troops and DKBA personal between the 26th and the 27th of January. According to DKBA sources 26 Junta soldiers were killed and 35 wounded during the fighting. At least 200 more refugees have fled over the Thai border and have taken refuge in the Thai Phop Phra District. DKBA forces accused the Thai Army of allowing Burmese troops to cross into Thai territory in order to attack Brigade 5 from Thai soil. Thai military officials have made no comment on the matter.
had an armed clash with Government Troops, reportedly wounding a battalion commander as well as several other soldiers. The KIO said that junta troops, led by battalion commander Lieutenant Colonel Yin Htwe, intruded into a KIO-controlled area, which started the fighting. Yin Htwe’s condition was unknown. The fighting lasted for approximately 20 minutes before government troops withdrew. According to the KIO, the two sides last fought in April 1997 near Nammatee in Kachin State
.
From the period January 1 to March 31, 2011, the KNLA was involved in 526 clashes with the Burma Army.
3. May. Clashs between the Burmese military troops and an alliance of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) and Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) in Kyarinnseikgyi township.
13. June. The KIA declared civil war.
7. July. After a break starts KIA fighting again.
8. JULY. Infantry Battalion (IB) No. 62 based in Thanphyuzayart, between Three Pagodas Pass
and Moulmein expect an attack from KNLA.
24-26. September. Four days as heavy fighting by KIA
. However the fighting which has erupted near the town since the 2010 Myanmar Elections has been causing a significant impact in the trade between Thailand and Burma due to the border being closed. Trade between the two countries brings in approximately 30 to 36 billion baht annually.
expressed concern about reported clashes between government troops and ethnic rebels "and urged all sides to refrain from any action that could raise tensions further or create instability at this sensitive time." – The Australian Greens
party has called for a full trade embargo
against Myanmar in the wake of the election and resulting violence. – The Department of Foreign affairs announced that they would work with Canadian Friends of Burma
to help send aid to refugees affected and displaced by the fighting. – The Thai government called for both sides to show restraint and be careful when firing weapons, as it was revealed several M79 Grenades
landed on the Thai side of the border.
Democratic Karen Buddhist Army
The Democratic Karen Buddhist Army is a breakaway group of Buddhist former soldiers and officers of the Karen National Liberation Army , one of the larger insurgent armies in Burma...
(DKBA). The clashes erupted along the border with Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
shortly after the general election
Burmese general election, 2010
A general election was held in Burma on 2010, in accordance with the new constitution which was approved in a referendum held in...
on 7 November 2010. An estimated 10,000 refugees have fled into nearby neighbouring Thailand to escape the violent conflict. There is concern that due to discontent with the elections, and speculations of electoral fraud
Electoral fraud
Electoral fraud is illegal interference with the process of an election. Acts of fraud affect vote counts to bring about an election result, whether by increasing the vote share of the favored candidate, depressing the vote share of the rival candidates or both...
, that the conflict could escalate into a civil war
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
.
October 2010
- 1 October. Fighting erupted yesterday between Burmese troops and a breakaway Shan force only hours after a Burmese soldier died following an ambush by a Karen army.
- 19 October. 4,000 troops of the KNLA are now on high alert.
8–9 November 2010
The fighting started in the town of MyawaddyMyawaddy
Myawaddy is a town in south-eastern Myanmar in Kayin State close to the border with Thailand. Separated from the Thai border town of Mae Sot by the Moei River, the town is most important trading point between Myanmar and Thailand....
, in Karen State, on 8 November. The government deployed heavy artillery in the town in response to the presence of forces from the renegade DKBA brigade. The military had allegedly threatened to shoot people who refused to vote. There were also clashes near Three Pagodas Pass
Three Pagodas Pass
The Three Pagodas Pass is a pass in the Tenasserim Hills on the border between Thailand and Burma , at an altitude of above sea level....
. It is believed at least three people were killed and twenty wounded when a Burmese Army artillery shell landed in a market in the centre of Myawaddy. At least five Thai civilians were injured when a rocket propelled grenade
Rocket propelled grenade
A rocket-propelled grenade is a shoulder-fired, anti-tank weapon system which fires rockets equipped with an explosive warhead. These warheads are affixed to a rocket motor and stabilized in flight with fins. Some types of RPG are reloadable while others are single-use. RPGs, with the exception of...
exploded in the town of Mae Sot
Mae Sot
- External links :* * : an audio documentary.* *...
, on the border between Thailand and Burma.
It is estimated that at least 10,000 refugees have fled into Thailand to escape the violence. DKBA rebels took the town of Myawaddy on 9 November, and were holding it against government forces. The town was closed off, and information on further casualties remains unavailable.
According to Thai sources, the Tatmadaw recaptured the majority of the town later in the evening, after an earlier battle between troops and DKBA forces. By the following morning only a few areas remained under rebel control. The Thai military, who are supervising the thousands of refugees, announced that it would send the refugees back over the border once the situation in the town had calmed down.
By the middle of 9 November, reports emerged that government troops had fully retaken the town, and pushed rebel troops back into the forests. Thai Officials were preparing to start moving the estimated 15,000 refugees back over the border.
Late on Tuesday 9 November, refugees started moving back over the river from Thailand, with the government claiming that its forces had quelled the violence, and that DKBA fighters were no longer present in the town. It is believed between five and ten civilians were killed during the fighting. However, neither the government nor DKBA fighters have released any information on the numbers of casualties from the fighting.
10 November onwards
By November skirmishes between rebel forces and government troops were continuing around the Three Pagodas PassThree Pagodas Pass
The Three Pagodas Pass is a pass in the Tenasserim Hills on the border between Thailand and Burma , at an altitude of above sea level....
area. The next day, both sides continued small skirmishes with both sides exchanging rocket fire. DKBA forces allegedly briefly took control of the town of Phayathonzu, however government forces drove the rebels out. According to a Thai official, at least 30 rockets were fired by both sides between 4 and 6am. Both belligerents are believed to have reinforced their numbers over the last few days. The DKBA rebel, Waw Lay base was also destroyed by Government forces after a heavy artillery bombardment.
On November 12, Al-Jazeera English reported that the DKBA had joined forces with the Karen National Liberation Army
Karen National Liberation Army
The Karen National Liberation Army is the military branch of the Karen National Union , which campaigns for the self-determination of the Karen people of Burma. The KNLA has been fighting the Burmese government since 1949....
in order to counter an expected crackdown by the government. Fighting then erupted again as both sides exchanged rocket fire. During the fighting a RPG
Rocket propelled grenade
A rocket-propelled grenade is a shoulder-fired, anti-tank weapon system which fires rockets equipped with an explosive warhead. These warheads are affixed to a rocket motor and stabilized in flight with fins. Some types of RPG are reloadable while others are single-use. RPGs, with the exception of...
exploded near Tinetayar Monastery, wounding 3 civilians who were taken to a nearby hospital.
Fighting flared up once more on the evening of November 14 with DKBA forces once more exchanging Mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
and small arms fire with Government troops. The fresh outburst of violence sent at least 200 civilians fleeing across the border into Thailand Thai officials were keen to start sending the refugees back over the border as soon as the violence died down.
On the 27th DKBA forces ambushed government troops reportedly killed One soldier and wounding 8. Government forces used 81-millimeter shells against rebel forces during the attack, however no rebel casualties have been announced. The fighting sent a reported 1,000 civilians over the border once more into Thailand.
January
Fighting spilled over into the new year when DKBA and Government forces exchanged yet another large burst of rocket and artillery fire on January 1. Two Thai Army soldiers who were patrolling the Thai side of the border where wounded when misguided 120mm artillery fire landed near their patrol vehicle which was destroyed. Several Government troops were also reported wounded when their Army truck ran over an IEDImprovised explosive device
An improvised explosive device , also known as a roadside bomb, is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action...
.
Gun battles were exchanged between Junta troops and DKBA personal between the 26th and the 27th of January. According to DKBA sources 26 Junta soldiers were killed and 35 wounded during the fighting. At least 200 more refugees have fled over the Thai border and have taken refuge in the Thai Phop Phra District. DKBA forces accused the Thai Army of allowing Burmese troops to cross into Thai territory in order to attack Brigade 5 from Thai soil. Thai military officials have made no comment on the matter.
February
For the first time in over 10 years the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO)Kachin Independence Organisation
The Kachin Independence Organization is a political organization of Kachins in Burma which effectively controlled the Kachin State during 1960s-1990s until the 1994 cease-fire with the Myanmar government...
had an armed clash with Government Troops, reportedly wounding a battalion commander as well as several other soldiers. The KIO said that junta troops, led by battalion commander Lieutenant Colonel Yin Htwe, intruded into a KIO-controlled area, which started the fighting. Yin Htwe’s condition was unknown. The fighting lasted for approximately 20 minutes before government troops withdrew. According to the KIO, the two sides last fought in April 1997 near Nammatee in Kachin State
Kachin State
Kachin State , is the northernmost state of Burma. It is bordered by China to the north and east; Shan State to the south; and Sagaing Division and India to the west. It lies between north latitude 23° 27' and 28° 25' longitude 96° 0' and 98° 44'. The area of Kachin State is . The capital of the...
.
March
The KNLA ambushed a convoy of 27 trucks carrying more than 300 troops between Kanelay and Bayintnaung in the Waw Lay area killing 16 and wounding 17.From the period January 1 to March 31, 2011, the KNLA was involved in 526 clashes with the Burma Army.
May
2. May. Clash between the Burmese military troops and the Karenni soldiers near Daw Ta Naw village.3. May. Clashs between the Burmese military troops and an alliance of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) and Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) in Kyarinnseikgyi township.
June
12. June. Clashs between the Burmese military troops and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) at Sang Gang, Kachin State, Northern Burma.13. June. The KIA declared civil war.
July
2. July. Kler Day road, Karen State. A Burma army battalion commander killed and another company commander and a sergeant wounded.7. July. After a break starts KIA fighting again.
8. JULY. Infantry Battalion (IB) No. 62 based in Thanphyuzayart, between Three Pagodas Pass
Three Pagodas Pass
The Three Pagodas Pass is a pass in the Tenasserim Hills on the border between Thailand and Burma , at an altitude of above sea level....
and Moulmein expect an attack from KNLA.
September
Burma border clashes grow to a civil war.24-26. September. Four days as heavy fighting by KIA
Economic Impact
The recent clashes which have occoured on the Thai-Myanmar border are nothing new to the Thai border village of Mae SotMae Sot
- External links :* * : an audio documentary.* *...
. However the fighting which has erupted near the town since the 2010 Myanmar Elections has been causing a significant impact in the trade between Thailand and Burma due to the border being closed. Trade between the two countries brings in approximately 30 to 36 billion baht annually.
International Reactions
– Secretary-General Ban Ki-moonBan Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...
expressed concern about reported clashes between government troops and ethnic rebels "and urged all sides to refrain from any action that could raise tensions further or create instability at this sensitive time." – The Australian Greens
Australian Greens
The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which...
party has called for a full trade embargo
Embargo
An embargo is the partial or complete prohibition of commerce and trade with a particular country, in order to isolate it. Embargoes are considered strong diplomatic measures imposed in an effort, by the imposing country, to elicit a given national-interest result from the country on which it is...
against Myanmar in the wake of the election and resulting violence. – The Department of Foreign affairs announced that they would work with Canadian Friends of Burma
Canadian Friends of Burma
Canadian Friends of Burma is a federally incorporated, national non-governmental organization founded in 1991.- Objectives :...
to help send aid to refugees affected and displaced by the fighting. – The Thai government called for both sides to show restraint and be careful when firing weapons, as it was revealed several M79 Grenades
M79 grenade launcher
The M79 grenade launcher is a single-shot, shoulder-fired, break-action grenade launcher that fires a 40x46mm grenade which used what the US Army called the High-Low Propulsion System to keep recoil forces low, and first appeared during the Vietnam War...
landed on the Thai side of the border.