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Myanmar declares state of emergency in Kokang

Tuesday, 17 February 2015 7:29 PM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 17 February 2015 7:29 PM ]

An injured Myanmar Red Cross volunteer lies on the ground after vehicles of a rescue convoy were attacked by Kokang rebels near the self-administered Kokang capital, Laukkai, northern state of Shan, Myanmar, February 17, 2015. © AFP

Myanmar has declared a state of emergency in the wake of brutal fighting between the army and ethnic rebels in the northern border region of Kokang.

“A serious situation has developed that has put people’s lives at risk, so a state of emergency has been declared starting from today,” Myanmar’s Ministry of Information said in a statement issued on Tuesday.

The statement outlined the measures in the Kokang region of Shan State, a predominantly ethnic Chinese northern border area that has seen airstrikes and ferocious gun battles since February 9.

Ever since the fighting erupted, the death toll has alarmingly risen, and the intensification of clashes has forced tens of thousands of people to flee.

Meanwhile, the ministry said in a separate announcement that Myanmar’s army chief was in full command of “rule of law and stability” in the area.

On February 16, Myanmar’s government said in a statement that it would “continue to perform actions in the Kokang region that are necessary for the safety and security of local people, as well as peace, stability and the rule of law.”

Kokang has been relatively calm since 2009, when Myanmar’s army launched an offensive against the regional rebels, forcing more than 30,000 people to flee for China.

While state media reported Monday that nearly 2,000 people have fled the flashpoint area for central Myanmar, China said there have been more than 30,000 crossings into its Yunnan Province since February 9.

Myanmar’s government, which replaced the junta rule in 2011, has pledged to end the civil wars, which have been flaring on and off since independence in 1948, as a key part of its reforms.

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