Army captures 3 Chinese nationals suspected of spying

15 May 2015
Army captures 3 Chinese nationals suspected of spying
Armed military soldiers stand guard on a deserted street in self-administered Kokang capital Laukkai, northern Shan State, Myanmar, 16 February 2015. Photo: Lynn Bo Bo/EPA

The authorities in the border region of Kokang have detained three Chinese citizens on suspicion of spying for the Chinese military, reports Radio Free Asia on March 14.
A local volunteer said Li Nan, Mu Tengfei and a driver identified only by a nickname Xiao Wang were detained by government troops during a security check on the Myanmar side of the border with China's Yunnan province on suspicion of spying for the People's Liberation Army (PLA).
The volunteer told RFA that the men as wearing army-issue vests and shorts, adding that Myanmar troops had become suspicious after seeing that their mobile phones contained photos of other people in military-type clothing. However, the volunteer claimed they were not spies, just volunteers who had been in the region for a couple of months.
Kokang in northern Shan State has been rent by conflict over the last few months, with the conflict spilling over the border into China on at least two occasions.