(Rangoon) In Burma, clashes have resumed since Tuesday in Shan State (north) between an ethnic armed group and the troops of the ruling junta, leaving two dead, according to residents and local media.

The Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) launched dawn attacks on Tuesday against military positions in the town of Kyaukme, which is on a vital trade route with neighboring China.

This attack comes in violation of a ceasefire concluded under the aegis of Beijing at the beginning of the year after weeks of fighting in this region between the army and an alliance formed of the TNLA and two other groups ethnic armed forces.

The TNLA attacked a police station in Kyaukme on Wednesday morning, a rescuer who requested anonymity for security reasons told AFP.  

“People who live in the city center don’t dare leave their homes,” he added.

The TNLA said it clashed with the army on Tuesday in Naungcho and Hsipaw townships, as well as in Mogok, in the neighboring Mandalay region, known for its ruby ​​production.

AFP tried unsuccessfully to reach a junta spokesperson for comment.

Beijing, for its part, assured on Wednesday that it was “constantly pleading so that Burma can restore a stable state and society as soon as possible.”

“We are also willing to continue to provide all possible assistance and support for the progress of relevant peace talks,” said Mao Ning, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

In a surprise offensive in October, this alliance seized swaths of Burmese territory and several lucrative crossing points with China, dealing the junta the heaviest blow since it took power in 2021.

The ceasefire brokered by China in January solidified positions, but recently both sides have accused each other of breaking the truce.

According to projunta media, border trade with China fell by almost a third between April and May compared to the same period the previous year.  

In November, the AA alone launched another offensive, in Rakhine State (west), where it claims to be fighting for greater autonomy for members of the Rakhine ethnic group.

It has seized territory along the borders with Bangladesh and India and plans to take the state capital, Sittwe, where there is a deep-water port financed by India.  

In Burma, a plethora of ethnic armed groups are based in border areas, fighting since 1948, the date of independence, for autonomy and control of natural resources.