Artillery shells from restive Myanmar region hit southwest China town

FIVE people in a Chinese town near Myanmar were wounded on Wednesday (Jan 3) by stray artillery shells from across the border, according to China’s state-controlled Global Times, as fighting between Myanmar’s junta and rebels persisted despite talks.

China has protested to Myanmar over the incident.

“China ... strongly deplores the Chinese casualties caused by the conflict and has already lodged serious representations with the relevant parties,” said Wang Wenbin, a foreign ministry spokesperson.

“China once again asks all parties to the conflict to cease fire and stop fighting, and take measures to prevent the recurrence of such vicious incidents,” Wang told a regular news briefing.

China would take the necessary steps to safeguard the lives and property of its citizens, he added.

Global Times circulated a video on social media showing one person lying on a pedestrian pavement in front of a row of street stores, with people shouting, “Call the police!”

In the video, Global Times said officials in Zhenkang, a city in Yunnan province, had confirmed shelling that had strayed from Laukkai, an area in Myanmar’s Kokang region, hitting Nansan, a town under its jurisdiction, around 2.00 pm (0600 GMT) on Wednesday.

The five injured people have since been taken to the hospital, it said.

For years, Kokang in Myanmar’s Shan state has been a volatile and restive region.

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China urges nationals to leave north Myanmar region amid unrest

In 2015, shelling from the area also landed across the border in Yunnan amid fighting between Myanmar government troops and rebels, injuring one Chinese and four Myanmar nationals and angering Beijing.

Some battles took place as close as 500m from the China-Myanmar border at the time.

In 2009, clashes in the same area forced tens of thousands to flee across the border into China, according to Chinese state media and rights groups.

Last week, the Chinese embassy in Myanmar urged its nationals to leave Laukkai as soon as possible, citing growing security risks.

Armed conflict between Myanmar’s military and rebel groups in the country’s north has escalated since late October. Neighbour China has repeatedly called for ceasefire talks and even facilitated dialogue between the two sides.

According to the United Nations in mid-December, more than 660,000 people in Myanmar have been displaced since Oct 27, putting the total current displacement nationwide at a record 2.6 million people.

Chinese authorities have told Chinese citizens to avoid travel to northern Myanmar, and for those already in the area, to move to safety or return to China.

China also urged the parties in the conflict to exercise “maximum restraint” and achieve a “soft landing” in the situation in northern Myanmar. REUTERS