Tatmadaw, police officials arrive in Lashio for talks with MNDAA

There have been reports that the MNDAA forces have begun withdrawing from Lashio, which they control, and that Tatmadaw and police forces have started entering. According to Eleven Media’s investigation, members of the MNDAA are in Lashio and Tatmadaw, and police officials have also arrived and are holding talks.

A local said that some security forces in civilian clothes have been gradually arriving in Lashio for the past two days and that the two sides are scheduled to meet at the Two Elephants Hotel on April 18.

Another local said that the MNDAA had temporarily closed the entrances and exits to Lashio on the morning of April 18, and that some government employees had also been seen returning to Lashio.

“Today, I heard that the entrances and exits of Lashio are closed. I heard that they are not allowing people to enter or leave the city. Because the army and police are going back today, they are closing it for one day for security reasons. The current situation in Lashio is calm. Some government employees are also seen here. I don’t know if they are returning to their homes as planned or if their department sent them here. The economic situation in Lashio is not as bad as it used to be. It’s not like it’s not working at all. I’m talking about the poor trade. I think Lashio will be governed by both sides. I heard that the MNDAA will keep its office in Lashio. But I heard that the MNDAA will be around the city. It’s hard to predict what will happen. No one has issued any official statements, so I don’t know,” said a local of Lashio.

Another local said the closure was for the safety of a convoy of Tatmadaw and police officials arriving in Lashio.

“Today, the entrance and exit of Lashio were restored around noon. The officials from UWSA and MNDAA came to meet the army and police in police vans, and the convoy entered Lashio,” a local said.

Currently, there is not as much traffic in Lashio as on Thingyan holiday days, but there is traffic and there is a roadblock near the Two Elephants Hotel, where the MNDAA is said to be holding talks, and there is traffic on Pyidaungsu Road, a local said.

A motorist said that since the early morning of April 18, there was a temporary road closure at some points on the Union Highway between Lashio and Hsipaw, but the road reopened after noon, allowing vehicles to travel normally, and that there was normal traffic in Lashio.

The Mandalay-Lashio Highway is currently safe to travel on, but the road conditions may change at any time, so it is necessary to check the situation until April 22.

Some media outlets have asked the information team of the State Administration Council (SAC) about the situation of the Tatmadaw and police returning to Lashio, but they have not yet responded.

The three northern alliance groups launched Operation 1027 on October 27, 2023, attacking security posts in northern Shan State, resulting in large-scale clashes.

China urged both sides to maintain peace and stability in the border area and to immediately cease fire and hold talks.

Through their intervention, the SAC delegation and the three northern allies held talks, met in January 2024, agreed to a ceasefire, and took control of the towns they had captured.

Then, while the SAC delegation and the three northern alliance groups were still in talks, the TNLA and MNDAA said that the second phase of Operation 1027 would resume at the end of June, and the TNLA also launched attacks around Mogok, Nawnghkio, and Hsipaw.

The MDY PDF, which is allied with the TNLA, has carried out attacks on security posts in Madaya-Singu, and on July 3, the MNDAA and its allies began attacking military posts around Lashio, where the Northeastern Command is located.

The MNDAA then announced on August 3 that it had captured the Northeastern Command in Lashio, and the MNDAA had designated Lashio as Special Region (1) and begun to administer it.

Shan State Special Region (1) was designated as the Kokang region by the previous military government, and Lashio was not included in this designation.

There have been criticisms that China is supporting the Northern Alliance in the MNDAA’s control of Lashio.

Amidst such criticisms, a delegation led by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and a member of the Central Military Commission, visited Naypyidaw on August 14, 2024.

During the visit, the Chinese Foreign Minister stated that China firmly supports the independence and sovereignty of Myanmar and opposes the attacks by EAOS in northern Shan State.

In addition, in a meeting with reporters after the 9th Mekong-Lancang Cooperation Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held in Chiang Mai on August 16, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also said that China supports the protection and preservation of independence, sovereignty, national unity, and territorial integrity of Myanmar.

China supports Myanmar’s efforts to achieve internal stability, economic development, and the improvement of people’s livelihood. China also supports Myanmar’s efforts to achieve internal political reconciliation within the framework of the Myanmar Constitution by the new “Five-point Road Map” and to resume the democratic transition process through general elections.

China opposes any behaviour that incites internal instability and civil war in Myanmar and opposes any deliberate interference in Myanmar’s internal affairs by external forces.

Following Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Myanmar, the MNDAA Military Committee announced on September 4 that it would not engage in military and political cooperation with the NUG, expand its battlefields, or launch offensives against Mandalay and Taunggyi.

In the period following the MNDAA’s announcement, the PDF groups that fought alongside the MNDAA on the ground withdrew to their areas from northern Shan State.

Subsequently, Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing visited China from November 5 to 10, 2024, to attend regional meetings, including the Greater Mekong Sub-regional Summit, and to hold bilateral talks led by the two countries’ prime ministers.

About a week after the SAC Chairman visited China, MNDAA leader Peng Daxun was summoned to meet with a senior Chinese official in late October and has been under house arrest in Yunnan. The detention was reportedly due to the MNDAA's refusal to withdraw from Lashio.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian responded at a press conference on November 19 that Kokang (MNDAA) leader Peng Daxun was receiving medical treatment in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

The Tatmadaw delegation and MNDAA delegation resumed meetings in Kunming, China, starting in December 2024. At the meeting in January 2025, the MNDAA agreed to leave Lashio by June 2025, and the MNDAA is leaving Lashio starting in early April 2025.

The MNDAA, TNLA, and AA were declared terrorist groups by the Myanmar Anti-Terrorism Central Committee on September 2, 2024.

According to the 2008 constitution, the Kokang regions, namely Kongyan and Laukkai townships in Shan State, were consolidated and designated as the Kokang Self-Administered Zone, and parliamentarians from each constituency of the Kokang Self-Administered Zone also emerged.

The 2008 Constitution includes provisions to be taken in Article 53 if the boundaries of a region or state are to be adjusted.

Article 53 of the Constitution states that if there is a need to adjust the boundaries of a region or state, the consent of the voters residing in the township covered by the boundary shall first be obtained.

When such consent is obtained, the boundary adjustment shall not be carried out unless more than half of the total number of voters residing in the township votes in favour of the adjustment.

If more than half of the total number of voters residing in the township votes in favour of the adjustment, the consent of the relevant Region or State Hluttaw representatives covering the boundary shall be obtained.

Similarly, if three-fourths or more of the total number of representatives of the relevant Region or State Hluttaws vote in favour, the President shall, with the consent of the Union Hluttaw, amend the boundaries of a Region or State.

If the relevant Region or State Hluttaw decides not to approve the amendment, the decision of the Union Hluttaw shall be obtained. If three-fourths or more of the total number of representatives of the Union Hluttaw vote in favour of the amendment, the President shall, as necessary, amend the boundaries of the Region or State, it stated.

Similarly, Article 54 of the Constitution stipulates that if it is necessary to amend, form or change the boundaries of a village, village tract, ward, town, township or district within the relevant Region, State, Self-Administered Region or Self-Administered Zone, the Chief Minister of the relevant Region or State shall submit a proposal to the President for approval and the President shall take necessary action.

Eleven Media

Asia News Network