Rangoon reinforcing along Thai

Rangoon reinforcing along Thai-Shan border 

Reports of junta army sending fresh troops and vehicles from lowland Burma into the Shan State have led to speculations that Rangoon might be seeking leverage in the upcoming border talks, according to Thai Burma-watchers. 

Two different sources one from Taunggyi and the other from the Shan State Army, said an army convoy of 130 army trucks (350 trucks according to SSA source) and 21 armored vehicles had passed through Taunggyi on Saturday evening (17 March) to the east. As yet, no reports of its crossing either the Takaw Bridge (between Kunhing and Mongpiang in the north) or the Tasarng Bridge (between Mongpan and Mongton in the south) have been coming. 

This however have raised speculations from several border watchers that the State Peace and Development Council, as the military rulers are collectively known, is indeed going to launch an unprecedented operation both to smash the Shan State Army of Yawdserk before 27 March (the anniversary of the Armed Forces Day) and to "browbeat" the Thai army into a "conciliatory" state of mind before the historic meeting on 2-4 April in Kengtung. 
Burma's crack mobile units, namely, LIDs (Light Infantry Division) 55 and 77 are already in Tachilek and LID 88 is in Kengtung. 

Related News 

Shan State Army denies being Thai proxy 

A senior officer from Shan State Army, name withheld by request, said: "Shans are not being supported by Thailand, although we dearly wish them to, being cousins and all. Had they been supporting us, why have we been going on without pay for 4 months?." 

He however conceded that between Thais and Shans an atmosphere of tolerance prevailed. "The keyword is not support, but tolerance," he said.

Shans deny fighting with Wa 

Lt.-Col Kawnzuen, Commander of the Kengtung Front Army, Shan State Army, said there wasn't any fighting with the Wa units attached to the junta army as reported by some papers. 

"On the other hand we've been doing a lot of fighting against the Burmese (military)," he said. 
Freedom News, an organ of the Restoration Council of Shan State, the Shan State Army's political wing, recently released a report of the clashes with junta units in southern and eastern Shan State.