Chinese caught in crossfire in Myanmar

Hundreds trapped as rebels, Myanmar army square off

About 2,000 local residents, including hundreds of Chinese citizens, have been trapped in fighting zones in northern Myanmar as of Sunday as tensions between Myanmar government troops and local rebels escalate.

The international community voiced grave concern for the situation, calling for an immediate cease-fire to guarantee the signing of a peace agreement scheduled in mid-February.

As of Sunday, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the other rebel groups have been engaged in battles with the government troops for over 72 hours in the state of Kachin.

"More than 2,000 civilians, including Chinese lumber workers, jade businessmen, and gold mine developers, have been trapped in the war zones … Although it is difficult to calculate the accurate number of Chinese citizens, the number of local villagers is estimated to be over 1,000 and about 500 have fled to areas controlled by the KIA," an intelligence liaison officer for a local rebel group told the Global Times.

"Nobody died or was injured. But there is limited food and water left and no medical supplies. It is very unsafe," he said.

A Chinese lumber businessman surnamed Li has lost contact with his family since he entered northern Myanmar with three other people last week. His family told the Global Times that the cellphones of all four people became unreachable and it's unknown whether they were trapped or detained.

"If conditions allow, we are willing to offer Chinese citizens passage to return to China," General Gunhtang Gam Shawng, chief of staff of the KIA, told the Global Times. Officers from several other ethnic armed groups spoke in similar terms.

According to sources, some 200 government soldiers have been dispatched to block the Kambaiti Pass and arrest people who "illegally enter the country," a move that will cut off access for Chinese citizens who may lack the proper documentation to return home. The trapped Chinese have had to hide in local residents' home or in forests, and are afraid to go to authorities to ask for help, the sources said.

The Chinese Embassy in Myanmar told the Global Times Sunday that they are still verifying relevant information, and that the exact location of the trapped Chinese nationals remains unclear.

Zhu Zhenming, a deputy director of the Institute for Southeast Asian Studies at the Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that it is very possible the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar has lost track of some Chinese nationals, as the border is not well controlled, and some parts on the Myanmar side are in the hands of rebel groups.

On Saturday, a full-scale battle broke out in Phakant and two other areas, with both sides using artillery.

One government soldier died and three others were injured. Four KIA soldiers were killed, according to Myanmar-based news portal irrawaddy.org. However, the KIA said at least 38 government soldiers were killed and more than 40 were injured.

The unexpected outbreak of fighting has trapped thousands of civilians on the battlefield. In one village in Phakant alone, more than 1,000 villagers were trapped on the first day of the fighting.

Myanmar-based news group Eleven reported on Saturday that the army has set up checkpoints along all roads in Phakant, preventing all but military vehicles from passing.

Sun Aung, a member of the non-governmental organization Peace Talk Creation Group, was quoted by Eleven as saying that "the government troops are continuing their attacks and people from Aung Barley village moved away from the fighting. Government troops used villagers as their guides to show the way to the KIA bases... People are hiding in the forest."

However, both sides are still negotiating for a truce. Sources told the Global Times that some top KIA military leaders and leaders from other rebel groups are inclined to join peace talks, citing the effect of four years of fighting on the area's economic development.

The latest round of violence broke out on Thursday after the KIA briefly took hostage a transport minister who was traveling through the region in a convoy, the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported. He has since been released, but three police accompanying him remained in rebel hands.

A human rights delegation including Tom Malinowski, US Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, visited Myanmar from January 11 to Saturday. Malinowski decried on Friday the growing religious intolerance in Myanmar and warned the use of faith for political ends was "playing with fire" in a crunch election year.

Over 1,000 farmers, students and political activists protested in Mandalay on Friday against the government's handling of ethnic affairs, media reported. Aung San Suu Kyi also expressed dissatisfaction with officials who failed to ease ethnic conflicts.