Kachin army digs in for final assault
While the Myanmar government has declared a ceasefire, the rebel stronghold of Laiza is preparing for a major drive, Mon Mon Myat reports from the front line
- Published: 27 Jan 2013 at 00.00
- Newspaper section: Spectrum
In the Kachin Independent Army (KIA) stronghold of Laiza, rebel fighters and thousands of residents are preparing for a final push by the Myanmar army, fearful that the capturing of the city could prove a fatal blow to the survival of the ethnic army.
KIA soldiers on the Lawa Yang front line, just 15 minutes’ drive from Laiza town in Kachin State.
Bunkers dug around the town _ which is pincered in a mountainous area between northeast Myanmar and China _ are evidence of the fretful state of the locals who have been subjected to ongoing air strikes and shelling, even though the Myanmar government announced a ceasefire more than a week ago in the village of Lajayang south of Laiza where most of the fighting has taken place.
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