47 Myanmar troops killed

Heavy fighting between Myanmar's army and rebels has killed 47 soldiers, state media said yesterday, sending a flood of people across the border with China and overshadowing hopes for a national ceasefire as a crucial election looms.

Myanmar has informed Beijing about the clashes, which have raged since February 9, according to the Global New Light of Myanmar, marking a dramatic resurgence of conflict with largely ethnic Chinese rebels in the Kokang region in Shan State.

The flaring of a conflict which had been largely dormant for six years, is an ominous sign for the government as it attempts to forge a comprehensive ceasefire deal with the country's myriad ethnic armed groups -- a deal it says is essential to embed reforms and drive development.

Kokang fighters with "heavy weapons including anti-aircraft machine guns" attempted to capture the region's capital Laukkai, just a few miles from the Chinese border, but were repelled by the army, state media said.

"So far, the fighting has left government forces with 47 dead, 73 wounded and five vehicles destroyed," said the English language report.

It is unclear what provoked the latest round of violence. Independent analysts said the fighting was likely to continue

Myanmar's quasi-civilian regime, which took power in 2011 after decades of military rule, has put ending the country's ethnic minority conflicts at the heart of its reform drive.