YANGON: An alliance of Myanmar ethnic armed groups has accused the junta of repeatedly violating a China-brokered ceasefire in the north of the country this month and causing civilian casualties.
Beijing brokered a truce between the junta and the so-called “Three Brotherhood Alliance” in January after months of fighting that displaced more than half a million people near China’s southern border.
The ceasefire allowed the alliance – made up of the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), and the Arakan Army (AA) to hold swathes of territory it had seized in northern Shan state.
Junta troops on Wednesday (Jun 19) launched an air strike on territory the TNLA holds near the ruby and gem-mining hub of Mogok, the group said.
“In this incident, one civilian was killed and 3 wounded including a 10-year-old child,” the TNLA said in a statement posted to the alliance’s Telegram channel on Wednesday.
On Tuesday junta troops had launched a drone attack that had killed one TNLA member and seriously wounded four others, the TNLA added.
It said the attacks were the latest violation this month by the junta, which it said had shelled TNLA positions, cut roads and restricted the flow of goods to TNLA-controlled towns.
AFP was unable to reach a junta spokesman for comment.
