Tatmadaw to launch attack to recapture military outposts and camps seized by SURA drug-trafficking terrorists
Myanmar will respond if its soldiers are fired by heavy weapons during the attack
[ 4-6-2002 ]

A press conference explained the Tatmadaw's attack to be launched to recapture the Tatmadaw outposts and people's militia camps which were lost to SURA during the joint attack launched by SURA drug-trafficking terrorist group and Yodaya army on 20 May.
 

The press conference which was held at Tatmadaw Guest House on Inya Road at 2.50 pm today was attended by Minister for Labour U Tin Winn, Vice-Chief of Military Intelligence Maj-Gen Kyaw Win, Deputy Minister for Information Brig-Gen Aung Thein, Deputy Minister for Home Affairs Brig-Gen Thura Myint Maung, Brig-Gen Khin Aung Myint of the Ministry of Defence, senior military officers, heads of department, officials of News and Periodicals Enterprise of the Ministry of Information, U Sein Win of Kyodo News Agency, Patron of Myanmar Foreign Correspondents Club U Hla Htway, Secretary U Nyunt Tin and members and guests.
 

First, Deputy Head of Department of the Ministry of Defence Col San Pwint said some of the Tatmadaw outposts and people's militia camps fell when SURA drug-trafficking terrorist group and Yodaya army jointly attacked them on 20 May. The press conference was held to inform the journalists that the Tatmadaw is going to recapture the outposts and camps.

The Tatmadaw outposts were stationed at the border between the two nations. These outposts were only 200 to 300 yards from the military camps of Yodaya. As the soldiers from the Tatmadaw outposts and the military camps in Yodaya could see each other, they could cordially meet before the incident. As there was not any problem between the two sides, soldiers from both countries had cordial relations. But at 4.06 am on 20 May, Yodaya camps launched heavy weapons fire at the Myanmar outposts - Panmaisun, Nyaungbingon, Pangangaw and Yanpaingsun. Simultaneously, the joint forces of the SURA drug-trafficking terrorist group and Yodaya army troops attacked the outposts. At 7.30 am, the tanks which arrived at the Yodaya military camps fired at Myanmar outposts to give supporting fire to the intruding forces. At 8.30 am, the tanks ceased fireing, but the artillery shells from the camps continued falling on the Myanmar side. At the same time, SURA drug-trafficking terrorist group and Yodaya army troops attacked people's militia camps - Lekwe, Kyuhsankat, Tatphalain and Tantyan which were stationed at the border for regional security and to safeguard the border.
 

The joint forces of SURA drug-trafficking terrorist group and Yodaya army troops attacked the Tatmadaw outposts with the help of heavy weapons fire provided by the Yodaya army. Due to the inequality in firepower and manpower, the Tatmadaw outposts -Panmaisun, Nyaungbingon, Pangangaw and Yanpaingsun - the police outpost at Panmaisun village and Lwehtwe forward people's militia camp fell at about 3 am on 21 May.

During the attack jointly launched by SURA drug-trafficking terrorist group and Yodaya army, one Tatmadaw officer, 27 other ranks totalling 28 were killed in action or missing. The Tatmadaw also lost 33 assorted weapons. One police station commander and eight other ranks totalling nine also fell or missing in the battle at Panmaisun police outpost. The police lost nine assorted weapons. Ten members of the people's militia fell and 16 others were wounded by the enemy attack. Of the missing Myanmar soldiers and police, 10 soldiers, five policemen, two women staff including the wife of the police station commander and four men staff totalling 21 were taken prisoner by the enemy.

Because of the joint attack launched by the SURA drug-trafficking terrorist group and Yodaya army, Myanmar lost soldiers, policemen, members of people's militia and arms and ammunition. Moreover, the attack has jeopardized the border security. Thus, the Myanmar Tatmadaw is going to launch an attack against the enemy troops to recapture the military outposts and camps occupied by the SURA drug-trafficking terrorists. As the Myanmar military outposts were located closely to the border, the Tatmadaw will take special care to ensure that none of the bullets fired by its troops land on the territory of the other nation in trying to recapture the outposts and camps. And if the bullets land on the other territory during the attack, the Yodaya army should not take it as an advantage to attack Myanmar soldiers from the SURA side or to give heavy weapons supporting fire.
 

The Tatmadaw will never intrude into the Yodaya territory in launching the attack. The Tatmadaw will attack only the SURA drug-trafficking terrorists who have seized the outposts and camps. If Myanmar soldiers are fired by heavy weapons during the attack, the Myanmar side will also return with heavy weapons fire to the place of firing. And even if the Myanmar Tatmadaw has to do so, it will be because of the nature of a war and an unavoidable situation. The Yodaya army should not intervene in the incident as such an attack only will ensure the recapture of the outposts and camps.
 

The attack to recapture the outposts and camps seized by SURA is informed in advance not to create any misunderstanding and not to draw slanderous accusations from the Yodaya side. There were fabrications concerning the joint attack launched by SURA and Yodaya army on the Myanmar outposts and camps, saying that the Yodaya army had to fire back heavy weapons at the Myanmar side as artillery shells fired by the Tatmadaw landed on the Yodaya territory. As no large cannons were deployed at the Tatmadaw outposts, Myanmar soldiers returned fired with only small weapons. Thus, it is totally false that the heavy weapons fired by the Tatmadaw landed on Yodaya side.

We would like to maintain friendly ties in peace in border areas of the two countries. Therefore measures were undertaken with care to avoid problems. In early May, we received information that Yodaya army would perform military exercise of SURA SI (143) Operation involving 30,000 soldiers in the border areas of the two countries. Misunderstanding between the two countries might occur because the military exercise was very close to the border involving a large number of soldiers in it. There might also occur border problem. So, Myanmar made an official protest at the 25th meeting of Tachilek/Maesai Township level border committee on 8 May. Despite our protest, the military exercise took place at the border. It was found that the military exercise was deliberately timed to coincide with the attack on our small Tatmadaw camps. They made arrangements to carry out the military exercise to attack our small Tatmadaw camps.
 

As we would like to maintain bilateral friendly relations, we explain this to the journalists in advance.

Vice-Chief of Military Intelligence Maj-Gen Kyaw Win elaborated on the clarifications of Col San Pwint. He said he would inform the Yodaya military attaché of the above-mentioned points on 5 June as he had explained to the newsmen about it. Launching attack on SURA insurgents to recapture the lost outposts in the border areas does not mean to intrude into the other country and create problems in the border. The problem, he said, occurred due to the attack on us by SURA drug trafficking insurgents in collaboration with Yodaya army. In the attack that took place on 20 May, Yodaya army officials and Yodaya media reported that they returned fire at the camps due to the fall of artillery shells from Myanmar side. Their accusations are totally false. We have to recover the losses and we will recapture the lost camps. With advanced knowledge Yodaya army does not have to intervene in the case.

Vice-Chief of Military Intelligence Maj-Gen Kyaw Win and Deputy Head of Department Col San Pwint replied to the queries raised by the journalists.

The newsmen observed the maps showing the strongholds of SURA drug trafficking insurgents in Yodaya.

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