The Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) has warned political parties to suspend campaigning for national elections amid ongoing clashes with the country’s military in the region citing safety concerns, according to an RFA report on 17 September.
In a statement issued Wednesday, the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) claimed government troops had launched intensive military operations in several areas under the control of the Shan State Army-South (SSA), its military wing, and were committing rights abuses in the region.
The RCSS said that at least eight firefights had taken place in SSA-controlled areas since August, leaving some 20 government troops and five rebel soldiers dead, and consequently have urged political parties to halt campaign activities in the region amid the escalating clashes.
RCSS spokesman Col. Sai La said that while the RCSS is ready to sign a nationwide cease-fire agreement (NCA), the fighting in Shan state suggests the government is not committed to the peace process.