YANGON, Myanmar (AP) – Fighting between Myanmar troops and ethnic Kokang rebels near the Chinese border has left more than 130 dead since the clashes started Feb. 9. The government has imposed a state of emergency and military administration in the region, which gives the army executive and judicial authority there. More than 50 soldiers and 70 Kokang rebels have died, and tens of thousands of civilians have fled into China for safety. Here is a look at the key issues and background to the fighting:
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KOKANG
The Kokang guerrillas were the main fighting force for the now-defunct Burmese Communist Party until signing a cease-fire with the then-military government in 1989. The group formally calls itself the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Party. Kokang leader Phone Kya Shin and his commanders fled Myanmar in 2009 after government forces raided a Kokang weapons factory and reportedly confiscated nearly 12 million methamphetamine tablets from the homes of the guerrillas’ leaders. The Kokang said the raids were payback for their refusal to have their troops join a government border guard force. U.S. officials have long suspected Phone Kya Shin, also known as Peng Jiasheng, of playing a major role in drug trafficking, initially in opium and more recently in methamphetamines. Officials blame the renewed fighting on a renegade faction led by Phone Kya Shin, which attempted to seize Laukkai, the capital of the self-administered Kokang zone.
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