The embattled ceasefire group Shan State Army ‘North’ has been given orders to move out its Third Brigade from its operational area, report ceasefire sources form the Shan State’s northern capital, Lashio.

The notification was delivered to the SSA ‘North”s leader Maj-Gen Loimao on 24 August by the Lashio-based Northeastern Region Commander Maj-Gen Myint Hlaing, who has already won recognition from his superiors by his recent success in forcing several groups to surrender their arms to the Burma Army. “It was during a visit made by Lt-Gen Kyaw Win (former chief of armed forces training who recently swapped places with Lt-Gen Ye Myint, chief of Special Operations Bureau No.1), said an SSA liaison officer, who requested anonymity. “Kyaw Win has been rumored to have replaced (Lt-Gen) Aung Htwe (chief of Special Operations Bureau No.2 that oversees Shan and Kayah states affairs). Myint Hlaing himself is said to be stockpiling his achievements to earn his coveted post in the capital, Commander of the Rangoon Region Command, succeeding the incumbent Maj-Gen Myint Swe.”

Kyaw Win, former commander of the Burma Army’s eastern Shan State forces, is being marked as a protégé of Deputy Senior General Maung Aye.

The Third Brigade that is active in Mongmit, Kyaukme, Hsipaw, Namtu and Lashio townships, has been given a 15-day deadline that ends on 8 September to move to Hsengkeow, the SSA headquarters. In addition, all SSA units have been warned a week earlier not to carry arms or walkie-talkies outside their bases.

The Third Brigade is commanded by Lt-Col Hla Myint, who replaced Col Hsaimo on 8 April 2003, following the latter’s ouster. Hsengkeow had found solid evidence of Hsaimo’s conspiracy to make a separate deal with Myint Hlaing and transform the brigade into a pro-junta militia force.

It is still unclear how the SSA ‘North’ will react to the Burma Army’s order. It has two other brigades: the First, based in Kehsi, and the Seventh, based in Kunhing.