Rebels warn political parties to halt election campaigns amid clashes in Myanmar’s Shan State
Armed ethnic rebels in eastern Myanmar’s Shan state have warned political parties to suspend campaigning for national elections slated for November amid ongoing clashes with the country’s military in the region, citing safety concerns.
In a statement issued on 16 September, 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 urged political parties to halt campaign activities in the region amid the escalating clashes.
