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But they are unquestionably brave, and determined to fight on, even if Laiza falls.
BBC: Kachin rebels defiant on Burma's northern front line
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The fighters have abandoned Hka Ya hilltop, the last line of defence before the Kachin capital of Laiza, where the rebels are headquartered.
BBC: Kachin rebels in Burma lose key hilltop
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The army advance means government troops are now just 3km away from Laiza, with no more lines of defence in front of them.
BBC: Kachin rebels in Burma lose key hilltop
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It has told our correspondent that it wants the Burmese military to scale back its operations throughout Kachin state and not just around Laiza.
BBC: Burma ceasefire 'holds' in rebel-held Kachin areas
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Burmese troops attacked a Kachin base just a few kilometres from Laiza, the biggest town controlled by rebels in the state, near the Chinese border.
BBC: Burma attack breaks Kachin truce near China border
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The BBC's Jonathan Head, who had just returned from Laiza, says hundreds of Burmese troops have been involved in the attacks, backed by heavy artillery barrages.
BBC: Kachin rebels in Burma lose key hilltop
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Tens of thousands of civilians displaced by the fighting are preparing to flee across the nearby border with China, while the rebel fighter's leadership says it will retreat into the jungle to wage a guerrilla-style war should Laiza fall.
BBC: Kachin rebels in Burma lose key hilltop
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If the base falls, there are few defences left to prevent the fall of Laiza, should the Burmese military decide to take it, he adds, and a Burmese military advance would certainly force the flight of many thousands of civilians.
BBC: Burma attack breaks Kachin truce near China border