On Tuesday, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army announced that it has intensified patrols along the Myanmar border in order to preserve security and stability amid the intensification of hostilities between Myanmar’s governing junta and rebel forces.
The patrols, which also entail air surveillance, will concentrate on front-line areas in northern Kachin and Shan states.
A spokesperson for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army stated that the organisation is reorganising army units to evaluate the troops’ capacity to “quickly move, block and control, and strike together, as well as maintain security and stability in the border areas.”
Since the late year, when ethnic armed groups formed an alliance to evict the military from the region, fighting has intensified.
In January, China mediated a truce; however, it was terminated in late June. Armed militia groups have claimed that they have overwhelmed numerous Myanmar military posts and seized control of critical towns in a renewed and expanded offensive.
The Myanmar military has responded by conducting aerial bombing and artillery strikes, which have resulted in the deaths and injuries of hundreds of civilians. Homelessness has resulted in the displacement of thousands of individuals.
In recent news, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also stated that China would persist in “its dedication to the restoration of peace and stability in Myanmar.”
In the interim, the Myanmar Juna has forfeited control of nearly 80 towns in central Myanmar, Kachin, Karenni, Karen, Chin, Rakhine, and northern Shan states. Additionally, it is on the brink of losing additional towns in central Myanmar and the western Rakhine State in the months ahead.
Gen. Min Aung Hlaing has repeatedly postponed his plan for a national poll in response to the expanding territory losses. However, he has since announced that the voting will be conducted in segments.
Military supporters have recently expressed severe criticism of Gen. Min Aung Hlaing’s leadership. He has provided a series of justifications for significant losses in territory and defeats.
Gen. Min has stated that the Myanmar Military is currently losing the war due to the enemy’s use of high-tech drones from China. He has also attributed the armed insurrection to the country’s “low education levels.”
In February 2021, the military overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, precipitating a crisis in Myanmar.
Source: The Irrawaddy, Reuters
Related News:
Asean Diplomats and Foreign Ministers Condemn Fighting in Strife-Torn Myanmar
Asean Diplomats and Foreign Ministers Condemn Fighting in Strife-Torn Myanmar